Persona 5: The Phantom Rebellion
by Captain Bell
Summary: On a fateful night, a mysterious girl in blue offers Rias Gremory the opportunity to obtain two powerful Pawns instead of one. When a brand new supernatural society is forced upon him, the former Phantom Thief Joker has one response: to reform the world again. The open rebellion of the Phantom Thieves will change the Underworld forever.
1. A Rebel's Soul

**Author's Notes**

 **Hello and thank you for taking the time to look at my work. I am Captain Bell and this is my first submission of fiction in many years. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **I have included a suggested soundtrack within the story. These are songs I was either thinking of or listening to while writing and editing those sections of the chapter. You should feel free to ignore them or to substitute your own preferred reading music, of course, but if you are interested in following mine then you can find any suggestions I make under the names provided. Just play them on loop until it suggests a new piece or says End Track and you will have the intended soundtrack.**

 **Also, it's apparently a tradition to write one of these disclaimers: I do not own the Persona series or High School DxD.**

 **With those formalities out of the way, let us begin.**

* * *

 **PERSONA 5: THE PHANTOM REBELLION**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: The Poem For Everyone's Souls]**

 _'Blue...'_

Ren Amamiya's thoughts are consumed by the color blue. The teen's right cheek presses against the bare earth of the small park where he lays immobile, but its cool touch offers no relief to his numb skin. Ren is already unable to breathe even shallowly anymore. Despite the situation, the former leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts still expects a familiar image of velvet walls and black chains to overtake him at any moment.

 _'Blue... it feels like every time I entered that place. Will I see them again? Igor? Lavenza?'_

Ren knows he isn't really on his way to the Velvet Room, but the young man's current state of mind truly does remind him of how it feels to have his consciousness leave his body and enter a place between dreams and reality, between mind and matter. Sadly, this is only further evidence Ren's mind has begun to fade into the realm of death. There is no Velvet Room for the former inmate to return to, after all; not for a Trickster who's journey is already complete.

The strange occupants of the Velvet Room are not the first figures Ren has given his thoughts to since he realized the end is upon him. The connected boy also focuses closely upon all of the truly special bonds he has built in his life.

Morgana, the collected hope of humanity given physical form and life in the shape of Ren's pet cat. The last Ren saw of the miraculous existence was a dash of movement nearby, so the teen is at least relieved to know his friend has been spared the same fate as him.

Ren's parents, whom he has only just reunited and reconciled with after a year away on probation. The son wonders how his mother and father will feel after he is ripped away from them again so soon, and permanently.

Sojiro and Futaba Sakura, the former parolee's second family. 'Boss' and his adopted daughter already hated to say goodbye to the young man when Ren returned to his hometown outside of Tokyo, so when they learn they will never see the boy again it is certainly going to hurt.

Ryuji Sakamoto, the blunt best friend Ren never knew he'd want to have. The boy imagines Ryuji could lose his passion for life a second time once he hears the news of Ren's death. The teen prays for his friend to keep living to the fullest.

Ann Takamaki, the compassionate girl who helped Ren realize what it means to encourage people to be their best and to share burdens with others. As an emotional young woman, Ann is sure to shed many tears when she learns of her friend's fate.

Yusuke Kitagawa, the eccentric artist who seeks beauty in all things. Ren thinks he might appreciate a piece or two dedicated to him, if the Phantom Thieves' former calling card designer should find inspiration within his grief.

Makoto and Sae Niijima, the previous year's student council president at Shujin Academy, and her older sister, the prosecutor-turned-defense lawyer. Ren suspects the women's loss of both parents years ago will help them cope with his death faster than the others in their circle of friends. The boy hopes the sisters will lend their strength to the other Phantom Thieves when they can.

Haru Okumura, the young majority shareholder of Okumura Foods. Ren doubts Haru's recent and violent loss of her father last year will make news of a close friend's murder now any easier for her to handle, but he is also confident she will rely on the others to help her through it.

Even Goro Akechi, the traitor who turned Ren over to the police and tried to kill him, crosses the boy's mind in his final moments. Regardless of the history between the two, when Goro died Ren promised the false detective to end his father's crimes in his stead, and the promise was fulfilled.

 _'Blue...'_

There are many others, of course. Ren's entire life does not flash before his eyes, but the most important parts of it do. Throughout the previous school year, under the code name Joker, Ren lead the Phantom Thieves of Hearts on a crusade to reform the most powerful corrupt members of Japan's society by the theft of their distorted desires. The Metaverse, a separate but connected world created from human thought and infested with Shadows, monsters of the same origin, was the unnatural force which enabled the extraordinary heists. Such an experience is not easy to forget, nor is when the Phantom Thieves ultimately slayed the false god Yaldabaoth, who seized control of the masses and attempted to fuse the two worlds into one.

Throughout those difficult times last year, Joker made deals with several exceptional individuals who came to know about his other life. Those contacts gave their aid to Ren in various ways, which formed powerful bonds between them he cherishes even now.

Yuuki Mishima, a former classmate and the administrator of the Phantom Aficionado website, who learned to respect himself with Ren's help.

Sadayo Kawakami, Ren's homeroom teacher by day and maid service employee by night, who rediscovered her desire to teach.

Tae Takemi, the disgraced doctor who provided the Phantom Thieves with medical support in exchange for some less-then-legal clinical trials done on Ren to help save an old patient of hers.

Munehisa Iwai, the former Yakuza, who helped the Phantom Thieves manage both their weapons and their looted goods in return for the help he needed to settle his old life's issues.

Ichiko Ohya, the journalist who gave the Phantom Thieves decent press while she rooted out scandals and corruption under the leeway those scoops gave her with her bosses.

Toranosuke Yoshida, the earnest politician who taught Joker how to be diplomatic, and who went on to win his election campaign.

Hifumi Togo, the high school shogi player whose strategic advice helped the Phantom Thieves in their battles, and whose marred career was restarted on her own terms with their assistance.

Chihaya Mifune, the fortune teller whose predictions always helped the Phantom Thieves prepare for their work, and who was inspired by the group's ability to challenge fate.

Shinya Oda, the elementary school boy who refined Joker's gun skills through arcade shooters simply because he was a fan of their work.

All these trusted confidants earn their individual moments of painful remembrance and well wishes as Ren's blood continues to stain the grass around his fallen form. None of those bonds will be forgotten by the young man, for it is because of them he was able to grasp the truth of the World Arcana and learn to stand on his own feet. Ren knows, because of all of them, he will never truly be alone, not even in death. Now the Trickster's only regret is he won't get to see more of the future he and his teammates saved from ruin.

 _'Still, if I'm going to die anyway,'_ the thief can't help but lament as the darkness finally begins to claim the last spotty blurs of his vision. _'I wish I could die with more of my friends by my side.'_

There is a faint crimson glow nearby, just outside the reduced peripheral range of Ren's sight, as the last wish crosses the boy's mind. The presence of the abnormal light barely registers in the teenager's thoughts, though, and not just because his awareness has faded. Rather, Ren's inattention is due to the fact that a more important sight comes to occupy the gray-eyed boy's final moment: a spot of color among the nearby trees, one he is sure wasn't there before and which Ren's mind completely focuses on before its thoughts finally cease.

 _'Blue... like velvet.'_

* * *

 **Prologue End**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: The Spirit]**

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I..._

 _A_ _ **blood oath**_ _has been forced upon thee._

o

 _It shall become a new chain of_ _ **captivity**_

 _that denies the_ _ **freedom**_ _of your heart._

o

 _But_ _ **fear**_ _not, for thou hast grasped the ultimate_

 _secret of the World, granting thee_ _ **infinite**_ _power..._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Rebel's Soul**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Phantom]**

 _One day before the new oath..._

"Bye mom, dad."

It is early on a Saturday morning. Ren Amamiya shuts the door behind him and pushes down the instinctive urge to turn around and flip a CLOSED sign to OPEN. The third-year high school student has had to fight the impulse for a while, and even though the year now enters late April, Ren still finds the instinct to be strong.

The cause isn't that the boy's thoughts are always on his room back in Tokyo's Yongen-Jaya. Ren is happy to have reconciled with his parents after he returned from his probation in Tokyo with a clean criminal record. Ren's instinct to flip a sign is entirely due to the fact that he still wants to be helpful to Sojiro Sakura, out of gratitude for all the help given to him throughout the past year. The former parolee doesn't have a means to pay the man back any more while he's back home in Kuoh Town.

Ren takes a moment to reflect on his former caretaker and plays with one of his short strands of curly black hair as he does. After a few seconds of indulgent nostalgia, and with a fond smile, the teen blinks the memories away.

Memories of Tokyo come often to Ren. For example, it is difficult for the bot not to think of Shujin Academy while he wears a high school uniform with a black blazer not entirely different from his previous one's. The teen's new pants are a solid black as well now instead of plaid, though. Kuoh Academy's dress code is more conservative than Shujin's, at least where the male uniform is concerned.

Kuoh Academy isn't the school Ren attended during his first year of high school in Kuoh Town, but he and his parents had agreed a new environment would be best for him. In Ren's old school people might recall he had been convicted of assault last year, and such rumors would only annoy the young man. Even if Ren is beyond allowing the opinions of others to bring him down, he's still had enough negative gossip for one lifetime.

The teen's new school has a sterling reputation, and covers a complete education from elementary school up through college. The academy was previously an all-girls institution, and the ratio of male to female students is still heavily skewed in the girls' favor, but in the time since Ren left town it began to accept male applicants as well.

Ren hefts his school bag over his shoulder and sets out. Being late for class would reflect poorly on the transfer student, so he plans to avoid it. Ren doesn't want to gain a reputation as a troublemaker again, even if he will still never bow to unjust authority, so being late is off the table.

"Please tell me you have a plan for today."

Ren looks down at the blue eyes peeking up out of his bag. The student rolls his shoulders with relaxed ease in response.

"It's Saturday. Listen to the lessons. Eat lunch. Repeat step one. Go home," the boy sarcastically drones in a near whisper.

"Could you take this seriously, Ren?" Morgana whines as he pops his head out. The black and white cat stares up at the human with a thoroughly unimpressed look. Morgana has gotten used to being unnaturally expressive with a house cat's features over the past year. "I can't stay at home all day while you're at school. I'll go crazy with boredom! You have to think of something!"

"Everything will be fine," Ren reassures his companion, unconcerned with any of the people he passes on the street since none are able hear the cat talk. Those who have not been to the now-dissolved Metaverse hear only ordinary feline noises from Ren's undercover pet. "She hasn't bothered us since Wednesday, has she?"

In the face of former Phantom Thief Joker's absolute confidence, Morgana relents and sinks back down to hide among the teen's books and school supplies.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Meeting]**

"Amamiya-san, a word please."

Ren ignores the death glare emitted from his bag. The boy can't actually see his friend's sour look, but the cat manages to make him feel it in his mind regardless. Morgana is not pleased. Ren just shrugs off the silent assault, a feat only individuals with the most lionhearted of guts could have accomplished. The not-a-cat's displeasure is obvious given their present circumstances, but it doesn't mean Ren has time to waste on him. The source of the problem should not be ignored.

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss President?" the boy asks with a friendly gaze as he turns around. "I was about to head home."

Despite Ren's debonair charm, Sona Shitori never seems the least bit fazed by his attempts to placate her. The dark-haired student council president simply stares back at her peer's easy smile with pure stoicism. Not a single thought is revealed to Sona's target by her glasses-covered violet eyes. It has taken Ren a while to get used to such a serious expression always being on the girl's otherwise cute face. Sona is an understated beauty, to be sure.

When Ren sees people who wear glasses, like his current student council president, it always reminds him of how grateful he is to not have to wear his own fake lenses anymore. There is no reason to try to appear less scary by wearing glasses when the threat of life in a juvenile correction center no longer hangs over the teenager's head.

"I wish to know if you have reconsidered my offer, as you promised," Sona replies, arms akimbo.

Behind Sona, the student council's long-haired vice-president (and far less understated beauty) Tsubaki Shinra, stands a couple of inches over her superior. Neither girl is short, but both are shy of Ren's near six feet of height. The look Tsubaki's brown eyes give Ren through her own glasses is no less painfully blank than Sona's. As usual, the wavy-haired boy finds no help from the taller of the two brunettes, they stand united against him.

"Yes, I have given it more thought," Ren lies with ease.

Ren knows the uniformed woman before him only said please to be polite. Sona actually expects no less than his, and everybody else's, absolute attention whenever she addresses someone. Sona seems to treat the position she has as one of actual authority over other students, and while she doesn't presume to act like a dictator she does not let anyone disrespect her title either. Ren mentally compares the brunette's attitude to how Makoto was strung along by the principal and teachers back at Shujin Academy when she was its student council president last year. The boy can't help but think Sona seems certain of what she does, at least. Conviction is an admirable trait.

Ren also notes, in addition to Sona's polite language, the girl also just specifically reminded him of a promise he made to reconsider a previous offer. Sona's statement is a blatant embellishment of the facts. Ren actually just made a small concession to 'think about it' the last time he spoke with Sona, after he told her he needed to leave early.

 _'I guess she's trying guilt trips now,'_ Ren muses after he gives consideration to Sona's choice of words.

"Thanks again, but I'm still not interested in joining the student council this year. You all seem like you'd be great to work with, but I've got other interests to focus on," the taller teen answers with a suitably apologetic tone. Ren might reject the girl's invitation, but it's no reason not to offer her the same angelic kindness he does to everyone else who hasn't wronged him.

The only people at Kuoh Academy who come close to Ren's true distaste so far are those second-years referred to as the Perverted Trio. As someone who considers several exceptional women to be his close personal friends, Ren takes offense to people with such a total lack of control over their own hormones they disrespect the dignity of their female classmates at every given opportunity. Hopefully the three will learn to cope better with adolescence soon. Fortunately, as a third-year, Ren hasn't every needed to interact with the three personally. Ren also knows better than to assume people's guilt by rumor alone, so he hasn't made up his own mind about the boys yet either.

Morgana bumps his head against Ren's side through the bag the student still carries. Apparently an unseen glare is no longer sufficient for the former phantom thief hidden inside to get his displeasure across to the one out in the open. Ren steadfastly ignores the implied ' _I told you so_ ' the action contains.

"I see," Sona replies with no apparent disappointment, though Ren's own skill with social masks allows him to imagine a sadder expression on the girl's face would be more reflective of her true emotions at the moment. "If that is the case then I still recommend you decide on an extracurricular club suited to your availability soon. It will reflect poorly on you to be without any on your record for two years in a row."

The fact that such a blemish would be a waste given his impeccable grades from last year went unsaid. Ren worked hard to become quite erudite in his knowledge throughout his second year of high school, and he left Shujin at the top of his class. Ren can appreciate Sona looks out for him and the other students academically, she really takes being student council president seriously, but it doesn't mean he will listen to her request.

Not when she so obviously wants something from him.

 _'Another reference to my records. This girl always seems to know more than she should, but doesn't hide it from me either. She wants me to pick up on it, to lure me in.'_

The pair's relationship has been like this from the start. Shortly after school clubs began their recruitment in early April, Sona personally approached Ren with an offer to join her student council. The invitation was ostensibly because of the boy's impressive academic history. After Ren's first polite decline, the president later approached him again and volunteered some advice: if the boy plans to seek more work in the political field after his time as a volunteer for Toranosuke Yoshida's campaign last year, then the student council would be an excellent extracurricular to have on his record.

Even if Ren's first refusal had been based on instinct, his ability to read people warned the boy Sona wanted more from him than she actually said, his second refusal had been entirely calculated. Sona researched Ren's record thoroughly while she tried to recruit him, but she hasn't yet revealed why. What the formerly convicted student does know is the deeper Sona digs, the more likely she is to discover his overturned assault charge. Fortunately, the police buried most records of when Ren turned himself in as the leader of the Phantom Thieves to ensure Masayoshi Shido's conviction, mostly to protect their pride, so there is little worry of it getting out. As a minor, Ren's criminal record should be inaccessible to someone like Sona either way.

More encounters between Ren and Sona have continued in a similar vein for nearly a month now, and the girl's hints she knows something of interest about him have become impossible to ignore. Still, the president has been respectful of Ren's refusals in every way. The girl only brings the subject back up when she has a new piece of information or advice to offer him, or has at least a semi-legitimate follow-up to make like she does today.

Even if Sona has somehow, improbably, figured out Ren turned himself in as one of the famous Phantom Thieves of Hearts, it doesn't feel to the boy like she means to threaten him with it. The Metaverse is gone anyway, so any possible inquiries into the Phantom Thieves are pointless now. Ren believes it is better to focus on the tools still available to shape the future with. Incidentally, Ren is legitimately interested in politics as a potential career path for himself after college. Unfortunately, Sona gives Ren the impression the student council experience here wouldn't be worth the hassle she could give him if he accepts her offer.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss President. Miss Vice-President," Ren says with a respectful nod to both ladies to end the short conversation. "I'll take the advice to heart."

Ren seizes his chance to leave and turns back toward the stairs. The boy does not simply walk down to the ground floor like most students, though. Instead, Ren opts to hop into a seated position on the hand rail and slide down. While the ex-thief is hardly the first student to do this maneuver, some of his nearby classmates openly balk at the audacity of doing it in front of their strict student council president. Those same students suffer a secondary shock after several seconds pass and it becomes clear Sona has no reaction to Ren's antics.

In a display of transcendent proficiency, the curly-haired teen skilfully swings his legs over to his other side when he reaches the turn in the rail. The motion shifts Ren's position and perfectly reverses his momentum. The boy goes the rest of the way down without a single twitch of lost balance or interruption in his ride. Ren slides out of sight of the student council ladies above and hops back to his feet at the bottom. Two girls from the second year who are about to head upstairs have watched the boy's descent with interest, and the teen rewards the ladies' curiosity with a cocky wink as he passes by.

Perhaps it is a little petty of Ren to encourage gossip about himself at his new school, but last year he'd had to listen to countless whispers in the halls of Shujin Academy about how he was probably a psycho who would kill the first person to tick him off. It is a nice change for the transfer student to now overhear his classmates simply comment on how bold and fearless he is. Ren is not immune to his own ego, after all.

"Still showing off whenever you can, huh?" the voice from Ren's bag asks with amusement.

"It's nice to not have to blend in," Ren responds as he exits the school and leaves the whispers behind. The flair for the dramatic the boy developed as Joker can be expressed more freely in the real world since he is no longer under legal and social scrutiny, and he does so often. Ren's reputation at Shujin is a positive one, but it is tempered by his occasional bouts of unnecessary showboating.

"What about Shitori? What are you going to do about her?" Morgana reminds his friend as concern returns to his tone.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that was the end of it," Ren answers. "She's never recommended I find another club before. I think she's out of tidbits from my record to tempt my curiosity with. As many as she's willing to drop, at least."

"I hope so. If you had the student council's eyes on you all the time then I'd never be able to slip by unnoticed."

"Relax. No one's kicking you out of school on my watch," Ren assures his companion.

Morgana is the 'other interest' Ren turned down Sona's offer because of. Even if Morgana were to make himself scarce while Ren attended council duties, the other members' increased attention on him throughout the day as one of their group would only make stealth more difficult for the cat-shaped being. The duo went an entire year at Shujin without the infraction of a pet in class being spotted, and Morgana's pride as a thief will not allow him to accept any less in Ren's third year either.

"Good. Now let's get home. Your mom is ordering sushi tonight!"

"You still owe me for pretending it became my new favorite food in Tokyo," Ren reminds Morgana with a smirk before he exits the school grounds.

It has taken a while, but it looks to Ren like his new school year is finally about to settle down into normalcy.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[High School DxD OST: Nakama]**

Sona stands on the second floor, rests a hand on the guard rail, and looks down at the stairs where Ren slid out of sight. Tsubaki can see the moment when the guise of Sona Shitori, student council president, fades from the girl's mind once the other students have left the hall and she is alone with her vice-president.

"Are you giving up on Amamiya-san, President?" Tsubaki inquires. The taller girl is still perplexed by her leader's choice of strategy for approaching this particular student. One refusal from Sona to explain her reasons was enough to silence the rest of the student council's questions on the subject, at least in her presence. Privately, all of the members continue to wonder what the mystery of their leader's early fixation on the new transfer student is all about.

"No."

Sona's prompt and concise answer surprises her close friend, who blinks several times before she responds.

"I suspect he believes otherwise," Tsubaki observes. The taller girl picked up certain cues and she has no doubt their target did as well.

"I need a new strategy," Sona explains as she gestures for Tsubaki to follow her back to the student council room. "I can't afford to let Amamiya go without further examination, and I won't let Rias steal him away."

Tsubaki is surprised again, though she remains as stoic in appearance as her friend expects her to be. For Sona to mention her rivalry with Rias explicitly is the equivalent of someone else biting their nails and pacing in circles. This means Sona considers Ren to be an incredibly high-value asset.

"If you let the rest of us know why he is of interest we would be happy to help you plan your next move, President," Tsubaki offers. The vice-president knows she treads old ground with this plea, but she hopes this change of status quo means she and the others might finally be let in on the secret.

Sona pauses her steps but doesn't turn to face her subordinate. Tsubaki simply waits patiently behind the shorter girl as a sense of anticipation builds within her.

"I'm sorry," Sona finally answers, which pops the tension like a balloon. "It's not for me to say."

When Sona moves on, Tsubaki calmly resumes her pace behind her leader. Inwardly, the girl can't help but reel at this new piece of information. Tsubaki is Sona's most trusted confidant, and the background of a simple high school student should not be consequential enough for her leader to feel pressured to hide it from her.

 _'Ren Amamiya. What possible secret could you have that Sona can't even share it with me?'_

Fortunately for Tsubaki, and unfortunately for Ren, the answer to her question will not elude her for much longer.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Alright]**

It's Sunday, and Ren finds himself out and on his way home a fair bit later than usual.

"You still find the strangest people, Joker," Morgana says with a chuckle as he trots alongside his best friend on the sidewalk. It is evening and the sun is almost ready to set on Kuoh Town. Ren is out of his school uniform and wears a comfortable black jacket over a white shirt and blue jeans. Pedestrian traffic around the two ex-thieves is practically nonexistent, so they can converse with no fear for Ren's reputation being hurt by the occasional comment to a cat. "We're late for dinner because of you."

"Anzai-san needed help," is Ren's lazy defense, stated as he drops a flyer into a trash bin they pass by.

Different people have passed out similar advertisements to Ren for weeks now. Each flyer promises to grant wishes and bears a strange circular pattern as a logo. The student is polite enough to accept the flyers for the sake of the employees tasked with the job, but he doesn't hold any desire to have his wishes granted by someone else. Ren could have just accepted Yaldabaoth's final deal to remake the world in the Phantom Thieves' favor if an easy way out was his desire. The boy still isn't sure what kind of service these flyers advertise anyway, but given how many times he encounters different distributors he has to assume their business is doing well.

"Sure he did. I'm also pretty sure the waitress was expecting you to ask for her number when you were finished. She seemed disappointed when we left."

"Well, now the next time we want to eat there we know the owner and the server both have a good opinion of us. Fair trade for a couple hours of our time," Ren explains with a self-satisfied smirk. The former thief extracted a deal from the small restaurant owner for the opportunity to taste test future recipes before they get added to the menu. Given the unusually high quality of the food there, it was a priceless agreement.

"Hey, as long as you don't do that when we have sushi waiting for us then it's fine with-"

Morgana freezes.

Ren does the same.

 **[Persona 5 OST: Tension]**

The human and the cat take exactly three seconds to correct their mid-step poses to a normal posture. The duo give each other concerned looks once all of their feet are back on the ground.

"You noticed it too?" Morgana asks.

"When we passed the park entrance," Ren confirms, then turns his neck to gaze suspiciously at the open gate two steps behind them. "I distinctly thought to myself that I didn't need to go through the park today."

"Yeah, me too," Morgana says as he narrows his blue eyes at the same entrance. "Those exact words. Except we never go through that park so it definitely wasn't _my_ thought."

The two friends exchange several ideas with just a few glances, a benefit they gained from both working together in life-or-death situations and living together in completely mundane circumstances. The pair's voiceless communications essentially boil down to one question: do we go in now, or later?

"Something that can mess with thoughts is bound to be dangerous," Morgana eventually cautions out loud. The cat's tense posture reflects a different intention than his words suggest, though.

"But we were both able to notice and ignore it," Ren reasons. "And it's not a question of waiting for backup. We can't call in the others from Tokyo."

"And we also can't just ignore something like this, right?"

"Definitely not."

The future the Phantom Thieves entrusted to adults is supposed to be one free from influence by forces beyond human comprehension. A power that controls people's behavior with implanted thoughts has far too many similarities to the Metaverse's ability to change people's hearts for the two former Phantom Thieves to ignore. It is the group's self-imposed duty to make sure human society is free to determine its own course, after all, even if the duty is supposed to have been fulfilled already.

"I'll take the lead," Morgana declares. "If I can change into my thief form then we'll know we've found some kind of cognitive zone."

Ren nods at the logic and follows behind the quadruped.

"I'll leave a warning in the chat, in case the others need a heads up," the human adds while he types on his phone.

 **[REN] Bad news. Morgana and I may have found something similar to the Metaverse in a park over here.**

 **[REN] We're going in to check it out.**

 **[FUTABA] Wait WHAT!?**

Ren can't help but smile at his always-online pseudo-sibling being the first to respond.

 **[FUTABA] What do you mean SIMILAR TO THE METAVERSE?! That crashed! We won! Game Over!**

 **[REN] We don't know yet. I'll message again once we figure it out.**

 **[RYUJI] For real? That's crazy!**

 **[RYUJI] You should stay out of there until some of us can come back you up!**

 **[FUTABA] Yeah, Ryuji has a good idea for once!**

 **[REN] No time. It just appeared and might already be influencing people's minds.**

 **[Ryuji] What do you mean for once?!**

 **[REN] I'm putting away my phone now. Keep an eye out for anything strange in Tokyo too.**

 **[ANN] I can't believe this!**

 **[ANN] Be careful, alright?**

 **[FUTABA] Don't die in there!**

 **[RYUJI] I have plenty of good ideas!**

Ren assumes the operational persona of Joker once more, puts on a confident smile, and tucks his phone away to remove the distraction.

 _'Don't worry, Oracle.'_ the phantom thief thinks. Joker reflexively refers to Futaba by her code name in his mind once he's on a mission. _'I've got no intention of dying today.'_

 **[End Track]**

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Eh? Did you... huh? Yuuma-chan, sorry, but could you say that again?" Issei Hyoudou asks his new girlfriend with a strained expression on his face. The second-year high school boy raises his little finger and starts to dig it into his ear to emphasize his confusion. "Something must be wrong with my ears."

 _'I mean, I'm pretty sure she was going to ask for a kiss...'_

Issei's thoughts are cut off when his shorter, raven-haired girlfriend leans right into his body toward the side of his head. Any pleasant thoughts the teenager might normally derive from the sensation of a beautiful, curvy girl pressed up against him are ruined when Yuuma Amano speaks once more. The voice is now distinctly lower than the cute one the girl has had up until a moment ago.

"Would you die for me?"

After Issei is warned of imminent doom twice in a row, his first thought is obviously to find a way to save his life.

 _'Huh?'_

Or that.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Into the Metaverse]**

They are out of costume, but Ren and Morgana still search the park under their old aliases of Joker and Mona. After several minutes without any other noticeably intrusive thoughts in their heads, the thief duo begin to suspect they may have misunderstood the problem. When Mona fails to activate his old transformation into a bipedal, large-headed little cat thief and remains an ordinary house cat instead, the embodiment of humanity's hope feels a little disheartened. When Joker detects no emergence of his Persona's power, the leader of the Phantom Thieves is forced to conclude, whatever this phenomenon in the park is, it might be totally unrelated to the Metaverse after all.

When the sky turns into a distorted, warped mosaic of dark blues and purples it is definitely a sign of _something_ weird going on, though.

"What the heck is that?!" Mona demands. The cat stares at the blurry mess of sky for a few seconds before he turns his head in all directions to look for any signs of the natural view. Not even the sunset can be seen on the horizon anymore, though the park remains fairly visible under the alien lights. Mona tenses and tries again to transform into his thief form, probably even his bus form, any form at all, in case this change signals a shift into a cognition-based reality. Sadly, the cat remains as he is.

"I don't know," Joker admits. The world is changed but the presence of the teen's Persona doesn't grow in his mind, nor does it grant him any noticeable increase in strength like it does in the Metaverse. "We may need to retreat for now."

The thieves' full attention is then grabbed by the first sign of life they have encountered: a red glow emanates from somewhere nearby, through a copse of trees. After the two spare each other a nod, Joker and Mona take off at a light jog to sneak up on whatever is at the center of the disturbance.

"Joker," Mona warns as they approach, his tone unnerved. "I smell blood."

The leader cringes but only slows his pace a little. There is a faint voice up ahead, and the duo are nearly close enough to overhear.

 _'If we can't fight then we need to spy and figure out what's going on.'_

Joker and Mona both understand this method of reconnaissance from their infiltration of cognitive Palaces and the heists they planned with the other Phantom Thieves. If this unknown phenomenon can hurt people, then the thieves both want to know what it is. The duo creep low through the trees between two of the park's pathways and come upon the site of a large water fountain.

Laid out on his back on a stone walkway leading to a fountain is a brown-haired teenager with an enormous hole in his gut. A massive amount of blood spills out of the boy. Even at this distance, Joker doesn't need Mona's feline senses to smell the copper in the air. The stench is prevalent enough to sicken the duo

A tall, curvaceous woman sits nonchalantly on the edge of the fountain, like someone out to enjoy a pleasant evening view. The stranger's long black hair is currently tinted purple by the light of the twisted sky above, and her incongruously serene gaze as she looks down upon the fatally wounded boy is made even more uncomfortable to watch by her audacious attire.

The person is dressed in barely any clothes, strips of leather are all that protect any sense of female modesty the creature might have. Tight leather also adorns the brunette's arms, legs and shoulders. Compared to the three spikes sticking up out of the outfit's right shoulder cover, the pink scrunchy bracelet on the creature's left wrist seems more out of place. This person is already a mass of oddities in Joker's eyes, though, so the aberrant accessory barely registers. 'Creature' is also definitely the right word to describe this being, for two great black feathered wings are held up in the air from her back.

Joker and Mona have no idea what they are looking at.

"Thanks for the fond memories," the murderer says in a pleasant tone to her victim.

The giant wings flap and the stranger rises into the air with ease. Joker bites his lip in anticipation. If the would-be killer leaves the scene, the boy reasons, then he can call for an ambulance and maybe keep the injured kid alive long enough for it to arrive. All the hidden teen has to do is stay still behind the bush he's pressed himself against and remain quiet for a few more seconds.

A red light shines down from above, which is Joker's first and only indication his hopes are unfounded.

 **[High School DxD OST: Yokan]**

Sculpted light shreds through bushes and grass to carve a hollow column into the earth. An instinctive tumble to the side saves Joker's life, for the moment at least, but doesn't spare his left leg from being torn open by just a glancing touch.

Human blood stains the grass and intense pain assaults the teen's mind. Ren's senses scream something is wrong, but the thief knows it already. The sight of a left leg held together below the knee by only half of its usual width is evidence enough of the problem.

Joker bites back a cry of agony with insurmountable willpower and turns his teary eyes to Mona, who is crouched across from him. The cat jumped in the opposite direction and was spared a similar injury, but the situation is still dire. Determined dark gray eyes meet frightened bright blue eyes as the pair share what might be their final unspoken messages.

Mona hisses angrily, then runs into the trees.

"Taking your pet for a walk in the park?" the woman-shaped monster asks. Ren's attacker still has the causal demeanor of a normal person as they pass you on the street. The tall, mature stranger drifts lazily in the air above her eavesdropper's position. Violet eyes shift from the black animal as he vanishes into the park over to the injured human below. "How unfortunate for you."

Joker curses his own incompetence. The thief's position had been hidden, but not chosen with an aerial observer in mind. To move after being in position would have been risky for Joker, but the woman had been able to spot his crouched figure once she rose above the level of his cover anyway. It was a rookie mistake when your enemies are inhuman, and one the injured boy thinks he ought to have been above.

Apparently not.

"Who are you?" Joker questions softly.

Without a Persona to summon, information is the only objective the teen might still be able to salvage from this situation. Mona is still nearby and watches for any chance to intervene. Ren knows if the winged woman gets close enough the cat will gladly pounce on her to create an opportunity for escape. Any details the two can learn before they flee will help the Phantom Thieves as a whole figure out a way to combat this new threat.

Joker's face is quickly covered in beads of sweat. The teen remains twisted with pain but forces a half-smile to show through his grimace, and ceases the rattles of his teeth with a total focus on the mission.

"I mean, its not every day you meet a girl with a body literally worth dying for. I might not mind going out like this if I got an introduction, at least."

Toranosuke would probably not be appreciative of Joker's current application of the man's lessons in oratory, but the injured thief has to work with what he has available. The winged woman's behavior doesn't match the scene around them, and her clothes hint at her possible personality. If Joker wants to draw his opponent down for a shot at an escape then he has to try to read her tells and play her.

"Oh? It's rare to meet a human with the sense to know his place. Dying for me is exactly all you're worth," comes the amused answer. "Very well, then. Have some peace knowing you witnessed the beauty of Raynare of Grigori before your end."

Raynare preens in the air, which does offer her second victim a generous view of her form, but it also means she has declined to drop down into Mona's attack range.

 _'Grigori. That's something to work with. Sounds familiar too.'_

"Since you're a witness, and clearly not a magician, standard procedure would be to simply erase your memories of this event. You somehow got through my barrier, though. Who knows? Maybe you have a minor Sacred Gear that protected you."

 _'Sacred Gear? Not familiar, but more names to check out. This is good,'_ Ren thinks as he braces himself.

"If that's the case there's the smallest risk you might remember some of this later, so unfortunately I'll just have to kill you too."

Raynare's bright smile as she is illuminated by the creation of another solid spear of red light makes it very hard for Joker to believe she finds this development unfortunate at all. The belief is supported by the fact Raynare looks positively cheerful as she poses with her new weapon and draws out the opportunity to kill another person, probably for no reason but her own amusement. The thief's bad leg sends throbs of pain up his body when he presses weight on it, like hammer strikes directly to his bones, but he knows this is do-or-die time. If Joker can dodge the first attack and get to the trees then he and Mona can try to disappear into the foliage and escape.

"Well, far be for me to-"

Joker never gets to finish his sentence. A vacuous pain in the boy's chest and a distinct lack of oxygen in his now-absent left lung causes him to cut off whatever distraction he'd meant to send Raynare's way.

 _'I... didn't even... see her throw.'_

 **[Persona 5 OST: Nothingness...?]**

How? How is this possible? After all those battles, after experiencing so much, how could Joker die so easily?

The answer comes to the boy with shocking clarity.

Joker battled monsters for months on end. The Phantom Thieves faced off against Shadows with a myriad of shapes and a wide array of abilities. In theory, Joker's combat experience is both substantial and varied enough to give him an edge against almost any opponent. The problem is, in the Metaverse Joker fought with a Persona. A Persona has to be physically manifested outside the user's mind to make use of its special skills, but while inside the Metaverse each one also physically empowers its user with enhanced abilities based on the myth or legend they embody. The same isn't true in the real world. Joker is used to fighting monsters beyond human capability, yes, but he is also used to _being_ beyond human capability himself. Here and now, Ren Amamiya is just a man who has almost never fought a real battle in the physical world.

Even though the boy knows all this intellectually, the sheer level of disparity in ability between himself and his attacker still caught him off-guard. The only reason Joker barely scraped out of the way of Raynare's first spear is because the enemy just happened to throw the weapon right after she created it, which allowed the glow to warn Joker when to move. When the creature chose to attack after the weapon had already been made, Joker's human reflexes became insufficient to keep up with her.

Joker's vast experience in combat was turned against him by sheer chance, and it cost him his life.

It has been a long time since Joker felt so thoroughly outclassed. One instance comes to mind: when the Trickster accepted Justine and Caroline's offer of a battle test the first time they brought it up to him. The Phantom Thieves hadn't been remotely prepared for a fight against the twins until much later. Joker had eventually triumphed over the wardens, but it doesn't look like he will ever get a rematch with this opponent.

The spear in Joker's chest shrinks down and vanishes, releasing all the blood it held in. Joker's throat chokes anew at the sudden change. The fatally-wounded student falls forward onto the grass next to the park's stone walkway, the second to do so here in under a minute. The thief lands painfully on his side and faces the trees he came from.

Joker can see Mona watch in silence, horrified. The cat would have happily sacrificed himself and thrown his body into the path of Raynare's attack to save Joker, but he hadn't been able to predict her strike any better than his human companion had. It is rare for the charismatic leader of the Phantom Thieves to be interrupted mid-sentence, and both were caught off-guard. All Mona can do now is continue to watch and listen, and hope for a miracle to help him out of this crisis.

Joker's murderer has no final words for her second victim. The winged being simply smiles in satisfaction at the death of another human and then flaps her way into the sky. Raynare vanishes along with the mass of unnatural colors above, leaving two bodies to die slowly under the gentle red hue of sunset.

Joker stares into the nearby trees and understands he is absolutely about to die. The young man accepts the fact of his end with an ease only someone who has completed a journey from the Fool to the World possibly can.

The teen feels a familiar tug on his mind, a sensation he associates with travel to and from the Velvet Room, either through a dream or by one of its invisible real-world doors. Unfortunately, Joker's Velvet Room is gone. The Trickster knows his mind will go somewhere else this time, but also can't help but be lost in the nostalgia of the sensation.

Despite the dire situation, a small part of Ren Amamiya still expects to see a certain color consume his vision at any moment.

 _'Blue...'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[High School DxD OST: For Me, Live On]**

Rias Gremory stands above the fallen body of Issei Hyoudou. The magic of the young devil's teleportation circle creates an up-draft of power and causes her clothes and long, bright red hair to flap elegantly around her gorgeous form. Two pitch black bat-like wings extend out from Rias's back, similar yet different from those of Issei's murderer.

"Since you're dying anyway, I will take you in," the blue-eyed teenager says to her near-dead underclassman from Kuoh Academy. Rias's illuminated body must be like a dream to the boy in his current state of delirium. The magic circle on the flyer Issei accepted when it was handed to him earlier in the day responded to his last thoughts and summoned a representative of the House of Rias Gremory here.

Given Issei's reputation, the thoughts were likely perverted. Still, they worked.

"From now on, you will live for me."

With those words in his ears, the light in Issei's eyes dies.

Rias takes and releases a deep breath when her magic circle fades away. The mask of mysterious authority the devil wears whenever she is summoned by a contract or instructs a servant is discarded now. Free of witnesses, Rias the teenage girl allows herself to relax in the empty park and retracts her wings. The devil kneels down next to the fresh and bloody corpse without any revulsion at all, and pulls a polished rectangular case out of her school uniform's skirt pocket. The box opens to reveal several white chess pieces inside.

"Let's see what your potential is."

Rias already knows, from her subtle examination and intuitive impression of Issei at Kuoh Academy, the boy is host to a Sacred Gear. The only question the redhead has now is how powerful the artifact is. The devil takes out the most valuable evil piece she still has, a rook, and holds the white demonic invention over Issei's chest. Rias creates a small red magic circle between her rook and the body, then the glyph floats and spins in the air between the two as she scans her summoner for compatibility with the magical item.

"Oh? Your potential is worth more than a rook?" Rias asks with genuine interest. The only duplicate pieces the lady still has are pawns, and multiple evil pieces can only be used on someone if they are of the same type, so Issei will have to be her first. Rias begins with a test of six pieces, the minimum required to surpass the value of her rook. The pawns are insufficient, so she tries seven and gets the same result.

 _'A servant worth all eight pieces? You will be my only and most valuable Pawn,'_ Rias thinks with fondness as she prepares the reincarnation ritual necessary to fuse Issei's human body with the evil pieces and return him to life as a devil. It suits the Gremory heiress's sensibilities to have a single Pawn of the highest possible value for her peerage since she works best with independently capable individuals.

It is obvious to Rias, by the presence of magical light lingering in the park, that Issei's death is the result of a fallen angel assassination. No doubt this attack was an attempt to prevent such a powerful Sacred Gear from being turned against their faction before it could be awakened. Rias wonders if Issei was offered membership in Grigori and then killed when he refused, or if the murder was preemptive.

 _'Your potential must be...'_

Rias pauses in her work when her movements to conjure a suitable circle for the ritual lead her to spot another splash of blood nearby, this one around the side of a bush. A human hand lays there, the rest of its owner obscured by the vegetation off the path.

"Another victim?" Rias wonders aloud before she walks over to learn who else could have been killed here. There is virtually no reason for a fallen angel to kill a human witness unless they are a magician who attempted to intervene. The odds of this being a planned double assassination of dormant Sacred Gears seems highly unlikely to the young woman, given how rare the gifted powers are.

Rias gasps with shock when she looks down upon the pale, dead face of Ren Amamiya. The state of the young man's body doesn't surprises her, Issei is in comparable or even worse shape himself, but rather the unexpected appearance of her classmate from Kuoh Academy's third year.

"I'm sorry, Sona," the girl whispers after a few moments.

Rias decided to recruit Issei into her peerage of devil servants earlier in the day, which she would have sought to do even if he hadn't died tonight. The redhead's fellow high-class devil and friend, Sona of the House of Sitri, acknowledged this fact and did not make any attempts of her own on the boy out of respect, even after she learned of his Sacred Gear from Rias. The fact that Issei's personality does not mesh well with Sona's own was a non-factor, all that mattered between the two friends was Rias's claim. Similarly, Sona also indicated to Rias near the start of their third year that the new transfer student was someone she wanted to recruit, though Rias knows not why.

With such an easy opportunity to examine Ren's body available to her, Rias is able to confirm everything her brief impressions of him at school already told the girl: the boy has no special magical potential and no Sacred Gear sleeps inside him. Admittedly, Ren is an exceptional human from what has been observed of him less than a month into the school year. The teenager is both smart and empathetic, is both charming and daring, is physically adept, and possesses both a quick wit and a rather handsome face. Yuuto Kiba might be called Kuoh Academy's prince by his many female admirers for his good looks and polite demeanor, but Ren has quickly built up a respected reputation of his own. People see the black-haired transfer student as a young dashing rogue because of his friendly attitude, penchant for flair, and extremely confident personality.

Ren may be a near-perfect social specimen, but despite all of this he is not truly extraordinary by a devil's standards. Sona surely knows all of this, and yet still pursued the boy as doggedly as she has ever recruited anyone before him. As Rias sits here and confirms all her previous estimates about Ren's ability, she remains dumbfounded as to why her fellow devil has behaved this way.

 _'I'd almost think she has a crush, but even if she did it's not like Sona to recruit someone just because of that,'_ the girl reasons.

Rias is sure this anomaly in Sona's behavior is not a quirk of the Sitri heiress's selection process. Rias herself has a history of using her evil pieces to help people in trouble, whether they will be useful to her as a devil or not. Rias has to admit she has been extraordinarily lucky with her whims, all of her servants have turned out to possess exceptional qualities so far, but Sona has always been far more pragmatic in how she selects the members of her peerage. Sona habitually recruits people with either skills or knowledge useful to devils, often ones who already deal with the supernatural world in some way prior to their reincarnation. Ren's natural talent might make for an adequately capable servant in just about any devil's peerage, but he doesn't seem to fulfill any of Sona's usual criteria.

Curiosity moves the redheaded devil's hands to her evil pieces once more. This curiosity demands satisfaction from Rias, and she brings a single pawn piece to Ren's chest to sate it. If the teenage boy really is a normal human, no matter how talented, then his value can't possibly be...

 _'… more than a pawn?'_

Rias is shocked for a second time, and the girl's blue eyes widen significantly as she absorbs the anomaly before her. There is something here, something completely unaccountable to her, that gives Ren not only exceptional human talent but supernatural potential as well. Whatever the cause is, Sona must already know about this and want it for herself.

A sad but appropriately devilish smile graces Rias's features as she fishes out her knight piece.

 _'Sorry again, Sona, but if you didn't convince him by now and you aren't here then you can't blame me for acting before it's too late.'_

Rias freezes after she finishes her happy thought and scans the boy again. The redhead is sure she will become immune to shock at this rate, but for now Ren continues to surprise her. The knight piece isn't powerful enough to reincarnate the dead human either. Rias thought the evil piece known for its speed and skill would suit someone as roundly talented as Ren, but she didn't expect her classmate's hidden potential to dwarf its value.

The rook is retrieved and the result is the same. Disbelief forces Rias to continue to measure the aberration in front of her. Six pawns are the next to be denied, then seven are also rejected.

 _'It can't be,'_ Rias thinks as she adds her final pawn to the scan once more. The young devil is entirely correct in her disbelief. Ren does not require eight pawn pieces to be reincarnated.

He requires even more.

"Sona, what in the world did you find?" Rias can't help but ask out loud as she stares at the impossibility beside her.

Rias knows an evil piece's ability to reincarnate someone is tied to the comparative value of the King, but she is a high-class devil from one of the families of the Underworld's 72 Pillars. Even a Longinus-class Sacred Gear, one of the few with the potential power to kill gods, should have been within the Gremory heiress's ability to reincarnate with all eight of her pawns. In fact, Rias suspects such a rare Sacred Gear is what resides within Issei. For Ren's potential to dwarf this value for no apparent reason is beyond ridiculous. The only evil piece more valuable than all eight pawns is the single queen piece, but Rias and Sona have both already used theirs.

"How could a normal human require a queen piece for me to reincarnate him?"

"I can inform you that not even a queen piece would be sufficient."

 **[Persona 5 OST: The Poem For Everyone's Souls]**

Rias shoots to her feet, wings outstretched and hands raised and ready. To be snuck up on like this is an insult to the heiress, and a testament to just how much the riddle of Ren Amamiya has bewildered her.

"Who is there?" the devil questions the nearby woods with steady eyes. Rias focuses the gaze of the noble she was born to be upon the intruder, an act of intimidation.

The sun has already set and the nearby light post's illumination has yet to turn on, but Rias's perfect night vision is able to pick up a small figure as it walks out into view. The person is clad in clothes of black and rich blue, holds a large book with casual ease, and wears a black headband with golden flower and silver moth wing ornaments adorning either side of her head. The girl's incredibly pale blonde hair trails down her back and seems to match her equally pale skin.

Rias deduces several details about the individual, all of which suggest she is not human. The girl has the stature of a child not yet in high school, yet she stands before a winged devil and two bloody corpses without any apparent fear or surprise. The girl's bright golden eyes speak of wisdom beyond her apparent years, and her few words so far indicate an intimate familiarity with the evil pieces. Beyond even all of this, though, is the sheer absence of the girl's presence.

Even a human with minor magical potential would find it difficult to sneak up on Rias, but the heiress now stares directly at an obviously inhuman being and detects not a single drop of power from her at all. Rather than indicate weakness, it suggests to Rias the exact opposite.

This person is dangerous, and in Gremory territory unannounced.

"Kuoh Town is the territory of House Gremory and currently shared with House Sitri," Rias declares in her formal voice. The girl invokes the Sitri name without intention, but she realizes it is because she instinctively feels it necessary to exert as much authority as possible toward the stranger. The devil lowers her arms and habitually crosses them under her bust while she tilts her head slightly back. Rias is determined to establish her dominance to the blonde, even through her body language. "Identify yourself and your purpose here."

"My apologies," the girl says with a muted, yet remorseful tone and a small bow of her head. "My name is Lavenza. The boy at your feet is a dear friend of mine, and though it may not be proper, I could not help but come when I realized you would need my help."

Lavenza's calm, slow rhythm of speech does much to soothe Rias's nerves, but the content of her words only adds more confusion. Ren is a dear friend of an inhuman creature who exudes no discernible presence? The mystery surrounding the boy deepens.

 _'Is this person the reason Sona kept quiet about him?'_ Rias wonders before she shakes her head and lowers her hands to her hips. The pose conveys the heiress's intention to not force a stand-off yet.

"By help, you mean you know why my evil pieces can't reincarnate him?"

"Indeed," Lavenza answers. "No amount of evil pieces would aid you in making Ren Amamiya a member of your peerage. He possesses infinite potential."

It takes Rias several seconds to digest the declaration, especially when she looks down and is reminded of the very easily murdered corpse of the one in question. Based on the feeling of tainted light still in the air, the fallen angel who did this to the two boys probably doesn't have more than a single pair of wings, the weakest of their kind. The situation doesn't speak much for Ren's supposed potential, no matter what Rias's evil pieces tell her. Issei at least has an inactive Sacred Gear to explain his condition.

"But the only beings evil pieces cannot reincarnate at all are gods and Buddhas. You can't mean Amamiya is one of them?"

"Not at all," Lavenza assures the devil. "He is simply the world's greatest man."

It takes several more seconds for Rias to digest this new claim. The devil suspects, due to the sudden pleased smile and additional warmth in Lavenza's voice, this girl may be somewhat biased in her judgment. At the same time, given the lack of discernible evidence Rias has for why Ren is worth more than even a single pawn, she can't exactly refute the statement either.

"If this is true then how do you intend to help me?"

"You wish to reincarnate both Issei Hyoudou and Ren Amamiya as members of your peerage, correct?"

"I do," Rias answers carefully.

"You require all of your pawns to reincarnate one boy, and none of your evil pieces will work on my dear friend. Instead, I offer you a choice: use your pieces to gain your expected Pawn and leave my friend to pass on, or entrust two of your pawn pieces to me and I will grant them the power you need to reincarnate them both."

Rias's hands tighten on her case of evil pieces. To tamper with the tools is a grave crime in devil society.

"Do not fear, I will not harm your standing with your people," Lavenza assures the taller girl as she pulls her book open and holds it before her. The text written in the tome is illegible to Rias. "It is within my power to induce a natural mutation of your pieces."

It is at this point Rias fears she won't build up any immunity to surprise at all, because she now finds it very difficult to maintain an appropriately regal bearing around Lavenza. A mutation piece is a rare evil piece that can reincarnate someone into a devil regardless of how many ordinary pieces it would normally take to do so. If Rias actually receives two of these pieces from Lavenza then she will not only gain a second powerful Pawn tonight, but also retain six more normal pawn pieces to use later.

"What reason do I have to trust you?" Rias asks with as much poise as her upbringing affords her. The devil's natural inclination toward greed currently strains her ability to resist the stranger's generous offer.

Lavenza answers Rias by closing the distance between them for the first time since her appearance and kneeling down to Ren's opposite side. The blonde gently reaches out with her free left hand to shift the fallen human onto his back and respectfully close his eyes. The same hand lingers for a few moments more and lovingly rests its back on the dead teenager's right cheek. Rias watches the motions in silence and observes the truly sad smile Lavenza displays once the girl looks back up to the devil.

"It was he who helped me learn to express myself," the blonde admits, her face filled with nostalgic joy. "I hope his work will let me convince you of the truth."

"What truth?" Rias asks quietly, out of respect for the duality of pure sadness and unbridled hope staring back at her from Lavenza's golden pools.

"That I want him to live."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[High School DxD OST: Is a Princess]**

After all of the twists it took to get here, in the end Rias is surprised by just how easy it all is. Lavenza takes two of the high-class devil's white-colored pawn pieces and creates an impressive light show. The display would have surely drawn attention if the fallen angel's perception barrier hadn't still surrounded the park and hypnotized normal humans into staying away. Within seconds Lavenza hands back two red-colored pawns, just as promised. Rias is intrigued by the fact that, despite the obvious display of magic, she has still not detected any presence from the girl. The heiress's instinct that Lavenza is exceptionally dangerous is reinforced by this fact.

When Rias asks why one of the two mutation pieces has golden highlights on it, Lavenza cheerfully explains this one in particular has mutated to be able to handle someone of unlimited potential, regardless of the King's own limits. The Gremory heiress can't help but take minor offense to the implications of the claim, but holds her tongue.

Issei's previously-abandoned reincarnation ritual is resumed with just one of Rias's newly-mutated pawn pieces and goes off perfectly, which means Lavenza is true to her word.

Mutation pieces are a natural phenomenon. The rare items usually appear in response to the King's growth or the growth of the one implanted with the piece before it mutates, but it also sometimes happens at random as far as anyone besides their creator can tell. How Lavenza is able to induce the evil pieces to mutate exactly as she wishes is a question Rias isn't willing to ask. The devil has received an edge in power tonight, and it would go against her very nature to turn it down or let others try to take advantage of it as well, so Rias stays silent. Besides, the creator of the evil pieces has hinted the system is capable of more than what is currently known to the public. Perhaps, Rias theorizes, Lavenza has simply figured out one of those built-in secrets.

Issei is now alive, a devil, and asleep. Once Rias is done with her second ritual she will summon her other servants to return both Issei and Ren to their homes. The families of the boys will also have their memories of the night modified to include the students' normal return home. Rias will not call for anyone until after Lavenza has departed, though. The redhead suspects the blonde does not wish to be publicly examined, so she will offer this courtesy out of gratitude for the invaluable gift she has been given.

It isn't until after Ren's ritual circle is complete and Rias is about to perform the spell again, this time with her pawn piece of supposedly limitless value, when Lavenza speaks up for the first time since the devil agreed to the mysterious being's offer.

"I wish to give you a fair warning, since you are doing what I desire."

Rias's body tenses at the potential threat. The redhead attempts to address the blonde diplomatically.

"A warning about what?"

"If you decide to take the pawn and use it on another after learning this I will understand, but if you do choose to reincarnate my friend then you should first be made aware of his most important trait."

Rias is intrigued. Lavenza knows Ren's condition, so she must understand what it is that gives him such unnatural value. The devil wonders if she is about to learn exactly what sort of power her future servant will soon wield for her sake. Rias gives the golden-eyed girl her full attention and waits expectantly.

"This man has within him..."

Rias leans in closer. This is it. All of the answers are about to be revealed.

"... a rebel's soul."

Lavenza smiles brightly after her confession. The blonde beams with obvious affection for what she claims to definitively describe the wavy-haired boy who lays dead on the ground. Lavenza's words seems to fly in the face of the fact that Rias knows Ren to be one of the most congenial students in their school.

Rias can only sigh in disappointment, then immediately shifts gears to shake her head with genuine amusement. It is the devil's own mistake, she reasons, for assuming this new servant of hers will ever be simple to understand. Still, the image Rias now has of Lavenza as a young girl with a stereotypical crush on someone perceived as an older 'bad boy' rebel type is certainly adorable, no matter what the real relationship between them is.

"Don't worry about that," Rias says with an affectionate smile before she turns back to her work. "We devils are known to be rebellious, after all. If he can pursue his desires earnestly then I'm sure he'll fit right in with us."

Rias doesn't look to Lavenza again until the ritual is complete and Ren is whole once more in a brand new devil body. When the heiress does look, however, she finds the mysterious entity to be gone without a trace.

The truth of the matter is Rias is in no position to comprehend the final warning Lavenza offers her. As the scion of a highly respected and wealthy family, and someone who has known nothing but unconditional love from her elders, respect and admiration from her peers, and friendship and loyalty from her subordinates, Rias has little to no personal experience with rebellion. It isn't that the daughter of House Gremory is ignorant of conflict or treachery, her peerage is filled with members who bear painful pasts containing those very elements, but her personal experience of it is purely second-hand.

Rias's greatest rebellious thought at this time is her plan to deny the arranged marriage her parents set up for her. In fact, the redhead would be delighted if Ren really is enough of a rebel at heart to support her yet-unspoken refusal to follow her parents' plan and would fight to help her break free of it. This is the extent of the type of rebellion Rias can envision: rebellion for her own sake.

Rias Gremory never once considers the possibility of a servant who she cares for as a precious member of her family actually wanting to rebel against her and the people she loves.

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **This concludes the introduction to** _**Persona 5:**_ ** _The Phantom Rebellion_** **.**

 **I believe the content of the prologue and a few hints sprinkled throughout the first chapter should clue in most readers about a few of this version of Ren's specific choices and achievements from Persona 5's possible options.**

 **I hope you will continue to follow this story in the future.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


	2. Awakening

**Author's Notes**

 **Welcome back to _Persona 5:_ ****_The Phantom Rebellion_** **.**

 **I'm glad you've decided to keep reading.**

 **Let us begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Awakening**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: The Poem for Everyone's Souls]**

"I still remember it well, your triumph over us," Lavenza says with an emphasis on the final word.

Ren Amamiya understands the girl refers to Justine and Caroline, the two twins created when the Holy Grail, the entity who merged the Metaverse with the real world, took control of the Velvet Room and split Lavenza in half to weaken and control her. Lavenza is whole again thanks to Ren, but this comment makes it clear she still remembers her time as the two separate individuals as well.

Justine and Caroline battled Ren and his team to test their worth. Victory over the twin wardens required many attempts over several months, Personas grown to great power, and relentless strategic shifts mid-battle. Though the memory of it has been erased from the rest of the Phantom Thieves' minds, it is an achievement Ren values as a sign of their progress together.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts began their final assault on the Holy Grail not long ago, but were met with a powerful guardian near the bottom of the tower it resides on. The Shadow modelled itself after the same legend as one of the Personas Ren has amassed, specifically one based on the myths of the archangels of Heaven. Given that Joker has three other Personas who fit the same description, he and the team's strategic adviser Queen have guessed what their opposition further up the tower is most likely to be. Joker returned to the Velvet Room and now prepares some Personas with appropriate countermeasures for their expected foes. It is at this time when Lavenza suddenly interrupts the young man with the words about her memories.

Ren looks up from the Persona Compendium he is browsing and smiles down at the shorter blonde. It is not common for someone to hear praise in another's voice when they describe defeat at your hands, especially from someone younger, but Lavenza beams with pride at Joker's accomplishment. Of course, to assume Lavenza's actual age is at all related to her appearance, which Ren can only roughly estimate to be anywhere from twelve to fourteen years old, would be folly. The girl with golden eyes is not human, after all. Lavenza may very well look down on Ren like a parent who is happy for her son's growth as far as the wavy-haired boy can guess.

"What's more... I know their feelings towards you."

Or not? Ren blinks in mild surprise. Lavenza has acted quite composed ever since she regained her true form. To hear the attendant hesitate mid-sentence catches the boy's notice as unusual.

"Or rather, with us combined, they are twice as strong," the blonde admits. The girl may not be human, and her cadence may be unnaturally calm, but there is genuine affection in the gentle voice. Ren finds himself entranced.

"I love you, my Trickster," Lavenza confesses. The restored girl's usual even tone is overcome with the simultaneous emotions of joy and embarrassment, just enough to make her sound like an ordinary human girl for the moment. "You are a man without compare in this world."

Ren takes Lavenza's confession in silence, a common reaction for a man who likes to think before he speaks.

Ren has navigated several relationships with women over the past year, and each one was carefully guided away from any romantic connotation whenever he sensed the possibility appear. The decision wasn't made because Ren has no interest in a relationship, just about every woman in his life is remarkable and desirable in their own unique ways, but rather for the sake of the mission. As the Phantom Thieves' leader, Joker did not want to create a risk of friction within the team, or have a powerful distraction outside of it, especially not once the full danger of the Metaverse started to become more apparent.

After so much skilful manipulation in Ren's personal relationships, it amuses the teen on some level for his first confession to come not from one of his peers, or even one of the attractive older women he is acquainted with, but from a girl with the appearance of a child. If an actual little girl told Ren she loved him he might not know what the right words to let her down gently would be, but he knows exactly what to say to Lavenza.

As the boy watches, he sees Lavenza's steady gaze and affectionate pride. The attendant's words are true, Ren thinks, but this isn't a confession of love the way a human might mean it or express it. Ren believes he understands the blonde. The former inmate has been here to watch Justine and Caroline both grow out of their shells, after all, and he felt an immediate connection with Lavenza through his memories of them when the fused girl first appeared. Ren trusts his attendant, innocent appearance aside, to have his back, and to guide him and the others to victory as best she can. In return, Lavenza trusts her Trickster to meet her lofty expectations, and to save humanity from its own weakness.

"I won't let you down," the phantom thief answers with a nod and his signature confidence. When Lavenza's smile brightens, Ren knows he can't afford to fail. To betray this trust would be unforgivable.

"I-"

 **[End Track]**

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Wake up!"

"Gah!"

Not for the first time in his life, Ren awakens to the sudden weight of a house cat on his head. The teen springs forth on reflex to sit up in his bed and Morgana leaps to the safety of the dresser next to it.

"Uh... did I sleep in?" Ren asks drowsily as he rubs his face. The boy usually sleeps extremely well these days, no doubt a side effect of the weight of the world no longer being carried on his shoulders. Morgana hasn't needed to wake the teen up since they moved to Kuoh Town.

 _'Was I dreaming of the Velvet Room?'_ Ren wonders while he waits for the drowsiness to abate. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between dreams of the room and actual visits to it, since both can be done while asleep. Ren definitely remembers the conversation he experienced with Lavenza as a memory from before, though. _'Yeah, just a dream.'_

"Ren! You're really OK!"

The human feels the cat's weight again, this time pressed into his abdomen when the animal leans against him. Morgana's speech quickly degenerates into a nigh-unintelligible stream of words which tend toward sentiments of thankfulness for the fact that his best friend still breathes.

It doesn't take long under such attention for Ren's tired mind to recall how exactly he had 'gone to sleep' the last time he was awake.

"Morgana?"

"... yeah?" the cat asks in an uncharacteristically low voice, head still buried in the human's chest.

"Why am I alive?"

The question is asked with a steady, calm voice, but Morgana shivers nonetheless and doesn't answer right away.

"Did I... I thought I saw the Velvet Room door before I blacked out," Ren continues. The teen's eyes close but he points his face toward the ceiling and casts his mind back to his most recent memories. "Did Igor and Lavenza save us from the... creature?"

Ren isn't sure what to call Raynare of Grigori yet, but 'woman' isn't high on the list.

"Um... not... exactly," Morgana eventually answers. The cat steps back from Ren and takes a seated position on the bed next to the boy. Morgana's blue eyes remain downcast, but he continues to shoot glances at Ren and express a mix of relief and a persistent sense of worry.

Ren glances at the phone on his night stand and taps it awake. It's only a little after four in the morning, earlier than the teen would wake up even while he lived above Cafe LeBlanc in Yongen-Jaya.

"It's alright, I'll listen to the whole story," Ren says to console his distressed friend. "I should let the others know I'm alright first."

"Yeah. Good idea," the cat agrees, though not without a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

It's been several hours since Ren last let the team know what he and Morgana were up to, so he figures the rest of the Phantom Thieves might very well be driven crazy with worry by this point.

Sure enough, the group chat becomes a flood of concern and rampant speculation after Ren's last message, which eventually devolves into a series of observations about how long it has been since he ended contact. Messages from Makoto then urge the group to trust in their leader and Morgana's abilities, but even she shows worry after two hours pass without word.

What catches Ren's attention the most is a message from Futaba, which says she will call Ren's parents to check on him under the cover story that he had seemed sick the last time they spoke and she's worried about him. Ren's parents had been given Sojiro's contact information when he went on probation last year, and vice versa, in case either side ever needed to speak with the other about him. If Sojiro's adopted daughter asked then he would certainly give the older Amamiyas' numbers to her. Futaba returns to the chat minutes after she declares her plan of action and claims Ren's mom told her he had come home late for supper, said he was dead tired from a spontaneous jog he'd decided to take, and then gone straight to bed.

It is true Ren has no idea how he got home last night, but he is pretty sure it wasn't under his own power. If whatever Raynare did to make people avoid the park has also completely altered his parents' memories of the night, then this is potentially an even more dangerous situation than the teen had previously suspected.

Ren then considers the fact that the situation is _already_ dangerous enough to kill him instantly. Not exactly a comforting line of thought.

After Futaba's call to Ren's mother, the other Phantom Thieves in the group chat eventually come to the conclusion their leader is simply exhausted the same way they always were after fighting in the Metaverse. The group takes this as near-confirmation Joker and Mona really did find a new cognitive zone of some kind, which sends them into another buzz of activity and wild speculation before Makoto advises them all to get some sleep and await news in the morning.

There is more than one message at the end of the log promising to extract revenge on Ren for going to bed without letting them all know he's alive. There is a very good reason for why Ren didn't sent such a message, which boils down to the fact that it would have been a lie. The teen doubts he wants to give the story to the team until he knows more about what actually happened, though.

 **[REN] Sorry everyone. I didn't mean to black out without sending word.**

 **[REN] Morgana and I are alright. It might not be the Metaverse after all, but there's definitely something strange going on.**

 **[REN] I need to sort out what we both know after school. I'll send a report as soon as I can.**

The messages are a bit deceptive for Ren's tastes; the black out part is only true because of a technicality. Ren had certainly not meant to die before he spoke to his friends again, but they will assume he refers to sleep. Until the boy knows how he is alive, though, he can't be sure of what to tell the others and still prevent an even greater freak out than the one he already caused them last night.

After Ren sends the last message he tosses his phone back down and pushes himself to his feet. "Let me just..."

Ren stops mid-step.

 **[Persona 5 OST: Interrogation Room]**

The Trickster has had many adventures in a cognitive world where your physical abilities depend upon the strength of your Persona, and he is gifted with the unique talent among the Phantom Thieves of being able to possess multiple Personas. As a result of these two facts, Ren's physical abilities constantly changed throughout his adventures, often mid-battle as he switched to different Personas for different skills or defences. From speed to strength to endurance, the body's capabilities are altered in the Metaverse with every new Persona selected for a task. Throughout the last year, Ren also employed a rigorous workout routine, at home and at a gym in Shibuya, to continuously improve his basic stamina and fitness. Both of these experiences combined have given Ren a very acute awareness of his physical body and its previously mutable limits. Because of this awareness, the boy barely gets balanced on his feet before he notices an unusual lightness in his movements.

It's a sensation Ren hasn't felt since the last time he had superhuman strength in the Metaverse.

 _'I don't sense a Persona's power,'_ Ren contemplates as he stands in place. Ren is always aware of the Personas contained within his soul, of course, but the weight of their mental presence is muted outside of the Metaverse. The usual distant hum of his other selves is all the boy feels now, not the louder voices they would have if they were granting him strength. Morgana watches with morbid curiosity while his friend tenses and relaxes various muscles to test the feedback of the unusual sensation. No matter how Ren examines his arms and body he appears normal to his sight, clad in his usual sleep wear of a black night shirt and loose pants. _'But if this is what it feels like then the Velvet Room must be involved.'_

"Let me just turn the lights..."

Ren picks up his previous sentiment again with the intention to hit his light switch. If the teen's mother or father awaken or get up to use the bathroom down the hall then he would prefer they didn't notice he was up yet.

"... off."

Ren stares at the light switch on the wall for an unusual number of seconds without any attempt to touch it. Morgana remains quiet with concern as Ren turns his head to look up at the covered lights on his bedroom ceiling. The teen caught a look at them earlier when he contemplated the previous evening's events, but the implications of what he saw hadn't registered until now.

"The lights are off," Ren eventually whispers, after a small frown forms on his face. The boy glances back to the switch on the wall, still in its off position, to the fixtures on the ceiling, which he can see do not currently emit any light. A quick look to the window confirms the presence of a star-filled sky with no hint of sunrise, which should still be almost an hour away. Despite these facts, Ren can see in the room as if the sun fully illuminates it. In fact, Ren realizes, his vision seems sharper than usual. The individual hairs of Morgana's coat stand out more clearly to the boy's eyes than they ever have, and the individual shades of color are more crisp. "Why can I see in the dark?"

 _'The Third Eye?'_ Ren guesses at first. The ability to detect Shadows and secrets with a sixth sense was a gift from Yaldabaoth while it was disguised as Igor, the master of the Velvet Room. The power functions in the real world as well as the Metaverse, though Ren found limited use for it outside of cheating in the batting cages of Yongen-Jaya. _'No, that's not it. Everything is too clear, and I can't detect any auras.'_

The quiet contemplation of this problem eventually causes the teenager to realize, in addition to his unusual sight, he can also faintly hear the steady breaths of his parents as they sleep in their room down the hall. Other sounds start to become more noticeable to Ren when he focuses, even faint ones outside the house.

Ren turns a perturbed expression toward Morgana. The Phantom Thieves' leader is often a man of few words when among his friends, but the boy feels it is important to get the rest of last night's story as soon as possible. First Ren's body feels unusually strong, and now his senses are heightened as well? If the Trickster still didn't feel the complete lack of an active Persona in his mind he would swear he was actually in a Metaverse construct just made to look like his room.

"What happened?"

"You died."

Yes, that is what Ren assumed at the time.

"Why am I alive again?"

Ren may have saved the world from ruin, but he doesn't think the Phantom Thieves won any second chances at life for their efforts. The real Igor probably would have mentioned it at some point if they had.

"I... I don't really understand what happened, but... but..."

"Hey, calm down," Ren says. The teen moves to sit by Morgana and offer comfort with a hand on the unique cat's back. "Just tell me everything you saw and heard."

"OK," Morgana agrees, then takes a deep breath and nods. "OK... it started with the popular girl from your school. The redhead."

Ren raises an eyebrow. That is just about the last thing the freshly-revived teenager expected to hear.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Alleycat]**

Ren stands in front of a large mirror in his room and examines himself. The young man's night shirt is discarded on the floor.

"I know I heard them say reincarnation, but this seems more like a resurrection," Morgana comments from his spot on the bed.

"No," Ren disagrees and flexes an arm. While the definition of the muscles is the same as before the boy's death, the considerable power felt within them is not human at all. "This is definitely a new body."

Devils. Gremory and Sitri. Evil pieces, reincarnation, and peerages. It is a lot to take in. Thanks to Morgana's feline ears, the cat overheard the entire conversation between Lavenza and Rias while he hid, not to mention all the redhead said to herself before the Velvet Room attendant appeared to her. After Lavenza's departure, two others came to the park who also wore Kuoh Academy's school uniform, a blond boy and a brunette girl, and they carried away the bodies of the fallen Ren and Issei. Rias disappeared in another flash of red shortly afterwards, and by the time Morgana got back to the Amamiya home himself Ren was already in bed and fast asleep.

Neither Morgana nor Ren can understand the context of what the cat overheard, but a few internet searches fill in several blanks.

Gremory and Sitri are both names of devils who appear in the famous demonology book, the Ars Goetia. Similarly, Grigori refers to angels and fallen angels in apocryphal religious texts.

Devils and angels. Apparently the stranger from yesterday was not a cognitive being, but a legitimately supernatural one. Still, Ren wonders, can he take these references at face value? Some of the Trickster's own Personas derive their origins from the Ars Goetia as well, and many others are based on angels of myth. Rias called herself a devil, but how serious is she? Is Rias just someone who also happens to use a name from a mythological source as the title for her unusual power, the same way Personas do? Raynare is certainly not a normal human, but could she simply be part of a group calling itself Grigori because of their resemblance to the popular conception of fallen angels and not because they are literally Biblical legends?

The uncertainty of it makes Ren's head spin.

"So... do you have wings?"

Ren turns and arches an eyebrow his friend.

"Gremory and the others," Morgana clarifies. "They all had wings."

Curious, Ren turns and looks at his back in the mirror. No sign of any new appendages can be found.

"I don't think they're real, or at least physical," Morgana elaborates after a few seconds. "They just went in and out of their clothes."

Ren sighs. Night vision, enhanced ears, super strength, and now magic wings. If Ren really has become a devil like Morgana overheard, then at least he still feels like a physical being and not a spiritual entity. The typical human sensations of fatigue, hunger, and the need to breathe are an odd thing to find comfort in, but they make this unexpected transition easier to deal with psychologically. If Ren also didn't need to eat or breathe anymore then the teenager would probably freak out much more clearly than he is now.

"I do feel something," Ren eventually admits. There is a force within the boy he discovered when he attempted to sense the presence of a Persona in his mind earlier, an energy he is unfamiliar with. Ren is concerned, actually, because this new energy is all he feels when he looks inward, not the Persona presence he usually detects. "A new kind of power inside me."

"Maybe you have magic now?" Morgana offers with a tilt of his head. The guess makes Ren release a small amused huff.

"If I have magic do you think I might be able to use a Persona in the real world as a devil?" the boy questions in return, half in jest but half in genuine curiosity.

"No," the cat answers in a sad tone and lowers his gaze again. Ren's easy acceptance of his new situation has done wonders to soothe Morgana's trauma over being a witness to his best friend's murder, but it will still take a while for the cat himself to move past the experience. Moments of depression like this will probably be common until then. "I think that's probably impossible."

Ren is surprised. The boy didn't expect a definitive yes, but Morgana's certain negative answer is also unexpected. Ren waits in silence for an elaboration.

"I might not know much about real devils and angels, but Personas are a human power," the embodiment of humanity's hopes says after he raises his head again. "If you're really not human anymore, then your connection to the Sea of Souls is probably gone."

It... makes sense, Ren admits to himself, even if it is sad to hear. With Morgana's memories fully restored he knows more about Personas than anyone else Ren is aware of in this reality, so the cat is probably correct. After all, it isn't like the two former Phantom Thieves know any other groups of Persona users out there to ask if they know any non-humans who have the power, like a normal cat or a dog or something.

What would be the odds?

The Phantom Thieves have been without the use of their Personas for several months now, Ren realizes, but to accept his intrinsic connection to them has also been severed brings a throb of regret. Ren probes the back of his mind for the presence of Arsene, his first Persona, but gives up quickly when he feels only the new sensation of power his devil body came with. Does the new energy inside the boy simply mask the usual dull presence Personas have in the real world, hiding them from his detection, or has the embodiment of Ren's rebellious will truly vanished from his mind completely?

The sense of loss is palpable to both of the room's occupants once it settles in.

"Well, it's time to get some answers," Ren decides after a few heartbeats. To focus on what Morgana just told the boy would drive him into a depression, so it will be better to take action. The teen moves to his closet and grabs his uniform for the day. It has been long enough now, so Ren's parents will simply assume he woke up early because he went to bed early, at least as far as their memories will tell them.

The cat stands up on the bed and a current of eagerness runs through him. This mystery might not be directly related to being a member of the Phantom Thieves, but the prospect of a new challenge still sparks Mona's childlike enthusiasm to life.

"What do we do first?" the cat asks.

"Breakfast."

Morgana collapses in a heap, then jumps back up and hisses indignantly.

"After that!"

"After that," Ren answers with a pause. The teen halts in the open door frame to look back at his friend. "We have a pretty girl to talk to."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[High School DxD OST: Kore kara, Tanoshimi desu]**

Rias Gremory is in a good mood.

The high-class devil always puts forth a serene smile for the students and teachers of Kuoh Academy; it is ingrained into the heiress to exude an air of aristocracy and control, after all. No matter if things are great or terrible in her personal life, Rias expects herself to maintain a certain image in public.

Still, Rias is in a particularly good mood today. If the redhead's usual smile happens to be strained today, not by hidden frustration but by an even greater satisfaction she actively suppresses down to a presentable level, can anyone really blame her? Rias's peerage not only gained two Pawns of incredible potential last night, but she also still has six of her pawn pieces left thanks to Lavenza's intervention. Now it is a new day and things look exceptionally bright for the heiress's future potential.

Rias pauses at the top of the second floor stairs when she sees one of the reasons for her great mood. Issei Hyoudou loiters in the space between floors with his two friends, the tall, shaved-headed Matsuda and the glasses-wearing brunet Motohama. Rias can't help but admire her new possession, though the pause has some repercussions.

"Oh, it's Rias-senpai," Matsuda observes, the first to notice her.

"For real?" Motohama asks as he rises from his seated position to see her.

The announcement draws the attention of others as well, whose looks of admiration are not at all uncommon.

"Ahh! It's Rias-senpai!" one girl further down the hall to Rias's right gushes softly. The many female students all turn to see the undercover devil once her presence is made known. The redhead's admirers are not at all limited to the male population of the school.

"She's always so gorgeous," another girl comments, which prompts Rias to continue on her way and out of public scrutiny.

Rias sees Issei start to blush while she gracefully descends the stairs. The boy is dressed in his usual attire for school, his uniform's black blazer left open with a bright red shirt underneath. It seems to Rias that her new Pawn has managed to adjust back to life without any immediate trouble, and she will have her peerage keep an eye on him for a while until he is ready to be brought further into the fold. Both Rias's Knight and her Rook will wrap up their prearranged contracts after school today, then focus on being shadows for the two new Pawns for the next couple of weeks to observe their transition. Anticipation of the moment Rias will bring her new servants fully into the supernatural world causes the lady to send Issei a meaningful glance with her expressive blue eyes as she passes, one which leaves the boy thunderstruck from the unusual attention.

"Yeah, she's a beauty all right," Matsuda comments when he thinks the girl is out of earshot at the bottom of the stairs. The boy doesn't know how good Rias's devil senses are compared to a human's, after all

"Mm-hmm," Motohama hums in consent when Rias turns to walk down the first floor hallway to her right. "There's something about her unapproachable elegance."

Yes, that is the perfect summation of Rias's appeal in Kuoh Academy. The devil's natural beauty and charisma make her both desirable and admirable, yet also presents an intimidating wall of expectations to keep the human students at arm's length. The fact Rias's best friend, Akeno Himejima, happens to be both the school's second idol and another devil who employs all the same social tricks as Rias simply multiplies the effect for both of them. Even if someone did work up the nerve to approach one of Kuoh Academy's 'Two Great Ladies' casually, could they muster the confidence to approach both at once? So far, the answer has been no. All in all, a school idol is an easy cover for a high-class devil who spends her time in the human world. Unapproachable elegance is the perfect name for Rias's human persona.

Which is why everyone in sight stops and stares when someone approaches her.

"Good morning, Gremory-san," Ren greets his fellow third-year. The redhead stops in her tracks at the bottom of the stairs and blinks in surprise at the boy's casual address. "Pardon me, but you are positively beaming today. Did something good happen?"

Rias's control over herself is sufficient to keep from being frozen on the spot, but it's a near miss. Ren's typical dashing smile greets the devil, and he appears just as put together as he always does. The brunet's wavy black hair has the same messy-yet-stylish look to it, and his uniform is done up the same way he usually has it with the neck tie removed and the collar left open. Even Ren's posture, hands in his pockets with his balance shifted to accommodate the school bag slung over his shoulder, is the epitome of relaxed calm.

"Oh my, you can tell?" Rias answers enigmatically. The girl narrows her eyes mischievously in the manner of someone with a juicy secret. In this case, the expression is more genuine than an act. "I did receive some favorable news last night. It's put me in a good mood today."

"I'm glad to hear it," the boy returns with a genuine air about him.

Whispers start to circulate down the hall, though most students are content to simply gape at the scene in silence, Issei and his friends included. Ren Amamiya, a popular transfer student, actually broke a Kuoh Academy taboo and now engages the school idol Rias Gremory in casual conversation. In addition, the teenage boy does this without a hint of discomfort or embarrassment. Ren's reputation in school is about to simultaneously skyrocket and plummet among different sections of the student body.

"Thank you," Rias says with a nod of acknowledgement, then begins to make her way around her new possession. "I hope you have a fine day as well."

 _'Was I really showing so much emotion?'_ Rias wonders as she passes her new servant. _'Unlike Issei, Ren was already dead by the time I found him. He shouldn't have any memories of-'_

"Actually, I was wondering if you would have lunch with me today."

 **[End Track]**

All sound and motion within earshot of Ren's comment stop dead. Even Rias pauses for a few seconds before she turns a polite but uncertain gaze toward the boy at her side. Ren, the overconfident rogue, remains unfazed by the reactions of those around them.

"I thought we could spend some time in the cafeteria and talk, find out if we have anything in common. What do you say?"

The weight of the Gremory name's expectations prevent the glare Rias wishes she could send the boy in front of her. The hint about things in common is probably as blatant as the reincarnated devil can get about his intentions in public.

 _'He knows,'_ Rias deduces. It is the only logical conclusion. _'Did Lavenza tell him everything already?'_

It was Rias's intention to allow Issei and Ren some time to come to terms with any memories of being killed, and to allow the boys to live life as humans for a little longer while they adjust to their new bodies. Still, even if the plan has been interrupted, it would seem petty even to a devil like Rias to blame Lavenza for interference in the management of her peerage. It is only because of the mysterious girl in blue Ren could even be reincarnated, after all. With this in mind, Rias lets go of her internal irritation and returns to her student act.

"Oh? I wouldn't usually have time, but perhaps just this once would be alright. It is a good day, after all."

Rias can't just accept the invitation without an exceptional circumstance established. The devil doesn't want any of her admirers to falsely believe they have a chance with her and encourage more invitations. The redhead is about to congratulate herself on her control over the appearance of the situation when she is shocked by an intrusive idea: Ren might have realized the girl's situation himself. Did the boy begin the conversation with a possible reason for Rias to accept today instead of other days, her unusually good mood, on purpose? Was it just so she could maintain her image afterwards?

 _'Just how perceptive is my new Pawn?'_

"It's a date," Ren brazenly declares before he continues on his way to class as if nothing unusual just occurred. Rias decides to follow the boy's example and continues on in the opposite direction herself.

Both students leave behind a powder keg of rumors ready to explode.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Suspicion]**

"That was quite bold."

At the sound of the girl's voice, Ren opens his eyes from where he leans on a wall near the edge of the track field. Rias walks into the shade of the practice building with a note in her grasp. Ren slipped a message into the girl's desk before the two even met in the hall, a necessity since they are in different classes. The note explains this little nook between buildings where the two can talk without the observation of all their curious classmates, most of whom will have their attention focused on the cafeteria now.

Rias does not look pleased. The heiress discards her school idol performance and now wears the mask of a leader. Rias is even able to look down on Ren, though only because he still leans on the wall. The redhead is a little taller even than Tsubaki, but Ren still has about three centimeters on her. The distracted teenage boy is silently commanded to explain himself. Ren picks up on the unspoken order, though he chooses to interpret it as a request.

The redhead moves to the edge of Ren's personal space and crosses her arms expectantly, a cool look in her eyes. The act also shifts the young woman's generous bust in a noticeable manner. The act is so noticeable, in fact, it suggests it must have been a motion the girl deliberately practiced in order have exactly this effect. Ren ignores the bounce on principle, since he assumes it to be a distraction tactic.

The teenage boy's gaze certainly doesn't linger on the enticing swell of his female acquaintance's chest for a few heartbeats too long. Ren Amamiya has far too much self control for that to happen. Really.

A few heartbeats too long later, the boy responds.

"I had little choice after the message you left me," the reincarnated devil offers as an explanation.

"Message?" Rias questions. A hint of surprise breaks through the redhead's carefully-crafted persona.

"I was killed in the park," Ren elaborates as he pushes off the wall and walks to where he set his bag down further in the nook. The boy does this to purposely show Rias his back while they are alone, a sign of trust. "I woke up at home the next morning with a new superhuman body and parents with modified memories, but not a single message left behind to explain my new situation."

Ren kneels down to retrieve two boxes from his bag, then turns back around to face his savior with a wry smile.

"That, in itself, was a pretty clear message. You wanted me to just go about life as normal and get used to my new state, and you would come introduce yourself when you thought I was ready. Am I right?"

Rias nods, which confirms Ren's theory. Ren assumes either Rias herself or those people who took his and the other boy's bodies away last night planned to keep tabs on the two victims of Raynare while they adjusted. The girl seems mildly surprised Ren is able to sum up her plan so well from the mere absence of instruction.

"Well, if that's the case then you obviously didn't plan to talk to me yet, so I had to _make_ you talk if I wanted answers. The direct approach seemed simplest: let you know I knew you were responsible and request a meeting."

Rias shakes her head, and the boy understands her reaction. Few boys in Ren's position would have the nerve to use such an approach to secure a meeting with Kuoh Academy's idol. Fortunately, Ren does not lack for nerve.

"Why not just leave this note? Why stage the scene in the hall?"

"To let you know I wouldn't take no for an answer."

The response seems to displease the devil, though Ren admires her ability to keep her reactions minute.

"How did you know it was I who reincarnated you?" Rias inquires further. "Did Lavenza tell you?"

Ren's brow furrows slightly. There is clear interest in Rias's voice when she asks about the Velvet Room attendant, though she tries to hide it. Ren isn't sure how much to reveal about his unusual friend, though, and defaults to silence.

"Some secrets aren't mine to tell," Ren says aloud, hoping Rias will take the words to mean he will not answer any questions about Lavenza. The actual truth, that there is a second witness to the event, is a secret Ren wants to keep for now. "In the meantime, I did promise you lunch."

Rias quirks an eyebrow at the bento box Ren hands to her. The boy cracks his own open and the smell of curry quickly fills the dark nook.

"Trust me, you'll love it."

It is Sojiro's personal recipe, after all.

Ren leans against one wall to eat his lunch and motions for Rias to take a position opposite him. The girl appears hesitant, but the delicious smell that greets her when she opens the box quickly melts her resistance away.

"So, thanks for saving my life," Ren says after a few bites. It seems like an appropriate thing to say, and Ren does so with genuine gratitude. Rias looks up with a curious expression from her own meal. A simple thank-you is apparently not what she expected from the boy. "You might have the wrong idea about me because of Lavenza, though. She obviously isn't human, I'm sure you could tell that much, but just because I know her doesn't mean I know anything about what you are or what you did to me. I called you out because I'm completely in the dark about how or why I'm alive again."

Rias finishes her mouthful of curry and gives Ren a thoughtful gaze before she responds.

"You are welcome, but please don't worry about it for now," the redhead states. "Your curiosity is understandable, but your earlier analysis is also correct. I kept quiet because I don't wish to overwhelm you with too much information at once. I promise you will be safe in my care until I am ready to explain."

Rias returns to her lunch, but Ren ceases to eat as he processes the response.

 _'She's kind of condescending,'_ the teen decides. _'But if she thinks I'm not used to world-changing revelations I suppose it makes sense.'_

"And Hyoudou?" Ren presses. The teen has seen the other student killed by Raynare alive at school too, and he already inquired about the boy's identity. To learn his fellow victim is one of the infamous Perverted Trio was a bit of a shock, but Ren's displeasure with their activities at school doesn't extend to a wish to see them harmed. "Because I knew Lavenza before this happened I'm open to accepting extraordinary circumstances, but I doubt he has even a hint of an idea of what's happened to him. Are you really going to leave him alone?"

"I'm keeping a close eye on him," Rias states with total confidence. "You two can enjoy your school lives normally for now, I promise."

Rias smiles happily when she says her piece, but Ren reels silently at the implications.

The two students finish their lunch before the period ends. Ren makes a few attempts for more information, but Rias shuts him down with her repeated assurances. The boy does manage to get a promise his family's minds will not be manipulated anymore, nor will they be involved in Rias's business, but this is all he manages to achieve before the redhead goes on her way.

Ren packs up the empty bento boxes, slings his bag back over his shoulder, and moves to stand under the side of the practice building. A black cat gracefully drops from the ledge above onto the student's bag, then climbs inside.

"That didn't get us much," Morgana complains. The cat hid at a higher vantage point while the devils met, both to observe and to act as Ren's eyes when he tested Rias's trustworthiness and showed his back to her. "She really does just want us to wait for her to reveal everything later, huh?"

"Yeah," Ren agrees, annoyed. "But that's not all. Did you hear what she said about living a normal life?"

Morgana nods solemnly.

"She said it was for now," the cat repeats. "So in other words, at some point you and the pervert guy won't get to live normally anymore... and she's the one who will decide when that is."

"She certainly acts like she has power over me," Ren agrees. Morgana heard Rias tell the dying Issei he would 'live for her sake' from now on. Ren is relieved to find he feels no unnatural compulsion to listen to the school idol, but he still doesn't know exactly what she meant. "And we don't know how much influence she actually has. She might be able to literally mind control me if she wants to."

"So, do we investigate another angle while we wait for her? See what we can uncover on our own and try to gain an advantage before she comes for you?"

Ren thinks for a moment, hears the bell ring to indicate students should return to their classes, then smirks.

"No."

 **[End Track]**

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Rias is in a bad mood.

"How was your first date, Miss President?"

Rias listens to Akeno's amused laughter with a far more expressive face than she ever reveals in school. Specifically, the heiress shows her Queen exactly how much the consequences of Ren's stunt annoy her with a blatant frown. Akeno's only response is to chuckle melodiously again. It is, admittedly, a far more pleasant sound than the laughter the sadist girl emits whenever she tortures her enemies, but it doesn't mean Rias wants to hear it right now.

Both girls make for an impressive image when side-by side, so much so it is easy to understand why they are considered Kuoh Academy's Two Great Ladies. Rias's exotically foreign features and brilliant red hair are complemented by Akeno's physical personification of the traditional Japanese ideal of beauty. The other girl's long black hair is done up in a high ponytail with an orange ribbon, and her violet eyes make unspoken promises of affection to those who look into them. Both women have their natural beauty accentuated by their figures, which are developed well beyond the common standards of maturity in any country of the human world. Indeed, these may well be the type of women for whom the term voluptuous was originally created to describe.

The Kuoh Academy girls' uniform itself seems designed to highlight the two devils' features; its short magenta skirt and white socks draw attention to the tall ladies' long legs, and its black shoulder cape with matching corset emphasize their considerable bust sizes, especially with the vertical stripes on their white shirts. The same is true for all of the academy's female students, but no others make it work as well as this particular pair. Rias knows all of this to be factually true, regardless of her own personal self-confidence in her looks.

Unfortunately, being so eye-catching is not always an advantage, especially when it makes it easy for people to notice your absence.

"I hoped us not being seen together at lunch would make people assume we never met at all," the redhead grouses. The brunette at Rias's side only shakes her head slowly as the two walk down the hall of the old school building toward their occult research club's official meeting room.

"Since neither of you were seen anywhere, it's only natural some would assume you both slipped away to a more... intimate location," Akeno clarifies. The girl's hand rises to cover her amused smile.

Rias knows her open exasperation with the rumors of her hookup with Ren is a rare sight to behold. Rias also knows Akeno, as the person who plays the role of her best friend, sees it as a sworn duty to enjoy every moment of the redhead's emotional reaction.

"You can hardly blame them when they are technically correct, can you?" the brunette adds.

Rias honestly wouldn't care about the rumors if she were actually involved with Ren, or even just if the boy had been fully brought into her household as a servant yet. A devil like Rias would never be embarrassed about such things. The redhead's concern now comes from the fact that she genuinely wants Ren to enjoy his human life for a while longer, so she doesn't want him to feel pressured by his peers to concern himself with her yet.

"Enough, Akeno," Rias responds with a sigh while she pushes open the club room door. "I don't want to hear any more about Ren Amamiya for today."

"Ah. Sorry about this, then."

Rias stares at Ren. The boy is seated on their club room couch with the day's homework laid out on the table in front of him, the work nearly complete. The lights are off and the candles in the room have not been lit, but these conditions would not bother a devil. This situation is probably a deliberate test of Ren's new night vision. An accurate summation of the situation does not make it any more palatable to the redhead, though.

Rias hears Akeno muffle another chuckle, which snaps her back to the present. Despite the momentary delay in reaction time, the heiress quickly scampers to pull her dignified persona back to the forefront.

"Ren," Rias speaks, the boy's name stated like the declaration of an irritated parent. The redhead asked the brunet for permission to call him by his first name at their earlier meeting, and she now makes use of his consent. "Why are you here?"

"You're the president, so the members of the occult research club are probably all part of your group, right? I figured I belong here too." the boy answers with a hint of smugness. Ren quickly turns his attention to the other girl in the room and stands up to be polite. "A pleasure to meet you officially, Himejima-san."

"Ah ha ha," Akeno softly chuckles in her usual ladylike manner. "How polite for someone who broke into our club room."

"I'll ask more clearly, Ren. How did you get in here?" the redhead demands congenially, or at least as congenially as one can make a demand.

Akeno responds to her friend's question with a curious look toward Ren, for she wishes to know the answer as well. It is several hours past the end of school now, and while the ORC met here earlier to set their schedule for the week to come, most of them left afterwards to handle contract requests or other business. The president and vice-president are the first to return since then. While the club members are away, a series of magical wards and spells protect the old school building from intrusion, which makes the new Pawn's presence here an anomaly.

Ren shrugs.

"Your locks aren't the hardest I've picked."

Rias can't think of an immediate response.

"Oh my," Akeno responds with barely-contained interest. "Could it be our new friend has a secret, sordid past?"

Ren looks like he isn't sure if he should feel comfortable with how excited the girl sounds at the prospect of him being a secret delinquent.

"I can't believe this," Rias says with a sigh of disappointment. The woman strides elegantly to her desk, right past Ren's position, while she mulls over the revelation he just provided. "Our protection spells can be circumvented just by unlocking the doors!?"

A privacy barrier blocks ordinary people's minds from the thought of entering the old school building. Other wards prevent unsanctioned magical intrusion, but the ones who set the spells up, Rias herself and Akeno in this case, didn't consider a supernatural being immune to the privacy barrier might also happen to be skilled in mundane skulduggery. Conventional wisdom in the Underworld claims no fallen angel or devil with self-respect would ever think to pick a lock, they would just destroy the whatever door stands in their way. It is because of the Underworld's specific brand of common sense Ren fell through the cracks of Rias's magical security, apparently without any intention to do so.

"Spells?" Ren echoes in a curious tone. "So devils use a system of magic?"

"That's correct," Akeno beings to explain. "In the case of devils, though, our magic-"

"Enough, Akeno."

Rias's words silence the room and draw the other occupants' attention back to her. The King takes a seat at her desk and folds her hands upon it while she maintains a cold expression.

"I understand your curiosity, Ren, and you clearly know more than you led me to believe earlier if you know about devils already. I didn't mention them to you yet. Still, I told you I wasn't going to give more information to you at this time. I won't ignore it if you continue to try to circumvent my decision."

Akeno's smile fades by this point. While Ren watches in silence, the brunette takes on the mantle of Rias's Queen and moves to stand by her leader in solidarity. Akeno's expression is not cold, but it no longer offers indulgence either. Rias allows her peerage much more freedom than many other high-class devils, but when she makes a decision she expects it to be followed. The heiress presents herself now as a royal with a decree to be upheld without question. Both women look at Ren and await the moment he submits to his King's authority.

"Why is it your decision?" the boy asks. The simple question causes a moment of confusion in the ladies. A slightly harsher look comes upon Ren's face when he asks this of the devils.

To Rias the answer is obvious, even if she hasn't explained the peerage system to her new servant yet.

"I gave you your life back," the King answers evenly. "That makes you mi-."

The ring of Rias's phone interrupts her answer. The devil is surprised to hear it, not only because of its poor timing but also because she rarely receives actual calls. Ren looks annoyed by the distraction, but nods to signal he understands when Rias answers.

Yuuto is on the other end. The redhead's hushed words into the phone quickly drop off in favor of louder, worried questions when she jumps to her feet seconds later.

"How badly is he hurt? Alright, I'll come personally. Stay with him."

Rias hangs up and turns to her Queen, who waits expectantly for her orders.

"A fallen angel almost killed Issei," Rias explains with venom. For one of the devil's own prized possessions to be injured by a random passerby is an extreme insult. If not for Ren's distraction, Rias is sure she wouldn't have missed it. "I'm going to have to heal him. You see Ren home in case more are out."

Akeno nods, ready to fulfill her duty.

"What happened to us being safe in your care?"

Rias's indignation momentarily diverts from the unknown fallen angel to her own Pawn. The boy watches the matter unfold with a challenge in his eyes while he casually twists a curled stand of his hair between two fingers. Ren doesn't seem like the type to stall a woman on her way to heal someone, but he currently gives off the vibe of a negotiator who sees a pressure point to further his agenda with, and is eager to press it. Besides, Rias must admit her own demeanor suggests she is angry but not feeling any special urgency, so Ren must have guessed Issei's life isn't in immediate danger.

"If we need escorts now then I think the time to play around at normalcy is over," the boy states.

Rias frowns, but recalls Lavenza's claim that Ren is a rebellious young man. The heiress chalks up her Pawn's insistence to the trait, one she will have to carefully moderate in the future. For now, though, Ren isn't wrong.

"Come here after school tomorrow," Rias orders. "I'll explain everything to you and Issei at the same time."

Rias would have to do so anyway, since the method to heal Issei will have them both wake up naked in bed together tomorrow. The other Pawn will definitely notice and want answers of his own.

Rias doesn't wait for a reply. The woman's surroundings disappear in a wash of red as she teleports to her Knight's side and the magic crest he possesses.

* * *

 **TAKE YOUR TIME**

* * *

Left alone with Akeno, Ren begins to gather his homework and stuff it into his empty bag.

"I guess you won't be giving me any answers early?" the rogue inquires rhetorically.

"You should be more considerate with your words," the lady says as a reprimand. Akeno's current cold look would shock the majority of her admirers in Kuoh Academy. The face the girl makes isn't even very harsh compared to what most teenage girls are capable of, but compared to the idol's usual polite persona the contrast makes her intentions stark. "You owe everything you have now to Rias."

Ren accepts Akeno is doing her duty. Even if Rias allowed Issei to be hurt, she apparently had someone on the scene immediately. Akeno's intention is obviously for Ren to accept Rias helped him when the redhead didn't need to, and for him to be grateful for it.

 _'Actually,'_ Ren reconsiders. _'What Himejima_ _probably_ _means is I owe Gremory my life, and I should be ready to pay it back in kind.'_

"It's hard to feel grateful when I don't know what I've been given. It doesn't seem like I'm getting my old life back, exactly," Ren points out while he opens the door for them both. Akeno seems to consider this, and Ren wonders how his circumstances of reincarnation might be different from her own. Either way, the boy detects this moment of hesitation and pours on the charm when they exit the building together. "Why don't you finish telling me about those spells. I'm going to hear it all tomorrow, apparently. You may as well explain a part of why this is a good thing for me. Having magic seems like it'd be a plus."

Not as much of a plus as the ability to summon Satanael would be right about now, but Ren doesn't want to focus on what he's lost. The fact is, Ren has yet to hear any hint of his Personas still being connected to him over the constant thrum of supernatural power now within the boy. Disconnection from the Sea of Souls, even just the possibility of it, is already painful enough without the chance to dwell on it.

Akeno doesn't respond to Ren's careful prods right away, but she does seem to genuinely want the new devil to understand the gift she thinks he's been given.

"You are a curious one, aren't you?" the fellow student eventually comments. The shift to a teasing personality is noted by Ren. "I suppose I can whet your appetite a little."

The predatory look in the school girl's eyes when she speaks might not be cold anymore, but it would still shock her many human admirers all the same with its suggestiveness. Ren's eyes certainly don't linger on the captivating gaze for a few heartbeats too long, though. Not this time. Really.

"What I was going to say before," Akeno continues with her usual polite demeanor after a few heartbeats too long. "Is that in the case of devils, our magic is fueled by our demonic power. There are some spells common enough to be taught in a standard way, but the key to devil magic isn't in any special formulas, it's imagination."

The walk to Ren's home is filled with simple explanations, tidbits meant only to entice the young man's curiosity and increase his receptiveness to his new life. Ren knows Akeno will offer no more solid information about devils now, not after Rias's order, so he accepts what he can get.

Since Ren can't detect Morgana with his own enhanced sense, he can only assume Akeno doesn't notice the black cat who follows him home from a safe distance either.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Confession / Secret]**

No matter how long Ren stares at his open hand and pictures a light bulb while he lays on his bed, no ball of magic light bursts to life in it. Apparently the teen isn't imaginative enough for even this simple of a trick, despite all he's seen; either that, or Akeno really did leave more important steps out of her explanations than she made it seem at the time.

"Looks like you were right to keep pressing," Morgana admits from his position on Ren's night stand. "We should learn a lot tomorrow."

Ren can't help but wonder if he actually was right. There were plenty of risks involved with antagonizing the duo's primary source of information on this new phenomenon, after all. Some sort of intuition pushed Ren to get the word straight from Rias as soon as possible, despite the risks. Part of the young man still hopes the redhead will put his fears to rest tomorrow about what this situation seems to paint itself as.

Still, the effort did glean some new insights. Ren may have set up to do homework in the devil's club room, but not until after he searched the place. There wasn't much in the room itself, just a single table with two couches, one desk, various pieces of decorative art, and, the oddest thing of all, a shower stall behind a curtain. Ren suspects there is more to find in other rooms of the old school building, but restricted his search so as not to be caught unprepared when the devils returned.

The club president's desk held more than just ordinary high school club paperwork, though. Inside were copies of flyers offering a familiar service, one claiming to grant wishes. The flyers were different from the ones Ren has received repeatedly over the past month, both in the layout and in the design of the elaborate circle on the page, which suggest his did not come from these particular devils. Rias's desk also had, of all things, copies of customer satisfaction surveys, some blank and some filled out. Apparently Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Yuuto Kiba, Koneko Toujou, and Gasper Vladi are all very good at whatever it is they do. Ren recognizes all but the last of those names as Kuoh Academy students of some renown. If those surveys are for Rias's entire group then their number is even smaller than the Phantom Thieves of Hearts'.

Just as Ren briefly thinks about the Phantom Thieves, Morgana interrupts the leader's analysis of the day's events with a truth he's avoided since he got home.

"Joker... you shouldn't keep them in suspense any longer."

Ren sighs. Morgana is right. The cat certainly doesn't want to do this to their team any more than his leader does, but the Phantom Thieves deserve more than to be left in the dark just because Ren doesn't have all the answers yet. Besides, for all Ren knows he might be under more constant surveillance soon. The opportunity to tell the Phantom Thieves his situation without the other devils knowing should be taken now. Any later risks Ren's friends being subjected to memory alterations like his parents were, and if the other Persona-users prove resistant to such things like Ren and Morgana both were in the park then it could paint bigger targets on their backs.

Ren's hand snatches up his phone and brings the screen to his face. A few swipes reveals the contacts list, full of familiar names from Tokyo. The group chat isn't good enough to share news like this. Even if it takes all night, Ren is determined to tell every one of his teammates what happened to him with his own voice.

 _'Well, if it does take all night,'_ the new devil thinks as he taps Ryuji's name. _'At least I'm nocturnal now.'_

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **This concludes the second chapter.**

 **Please remember, even if Ren thinks Morgana knows what he's talking about regarding Personas and humans, the not-a-cat isn't all-knowing even with his memory restored.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


	3. The World

**Author's Notes**

 **Welcome back to _Persona 5:_** ** _The Phantom Rebellion_** **.**

 **I would like to clear something up since it became a recurring comment in reviews: I have not forgotten there is a dog who can use a Persona. Morgana just doesn't know as much as he or Ren thinks he does, and there is a reason for it.**

 **With that in mind, let us begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: The World**

* * *

 **[Persona 5 OST: Tokyo Emergency]**

It's already been a long day for Ren Amamiya, and the hard part hasn't even started yet.

Ren expertly diffuses the curious advances of several more Kuoh Academy students. A combination of half-answers and gentlemanly sentiment shuts down most inquiries while the boy makes his way to the old school building after classes. Ren has been besieged by questions from students of all school years since he arrived this morning. Rias Gremory's mysterious disappearance at lunch yesterday is still hot gossip, but Ren has no intention of allowing himself to be delayed by those brave enough to ask him about it.

The new devil uses every social trick in the book to deflect attention and slip away after the last bell, his full focus on the answers Rias promised him. The effort put into being stealthy taxes Ren heavily; the brief sleep he got last night after all of his phone calls were complete is only barely enough to function on. The fact that being in the sunlight is actually a mild irritant to Ren's senses now only exacerbates the problem. The young man figures his new inhuman constitution must be the only reason he is able to stay awake, but he still can't help but long for a massage from Sadayo right about now. The teacher/maid always left the teen invigorated after a session with her.

"I still don't like being brought in so openly," Morgana complains for the thousandth time. The cat has been upset since Ren shared the plan for their confrontation with the occult research club today, namely the part where Morgana will not be hidden away like the thief he is.

"Noted," Ren responds for the thousandth time himself. "But you still haven't thought of a way to hide from a devil's enhanced senses since yesterday, so you can either stay far away like last night or just come in with me."

Morgana slumps at the reminder. Sona Shitori and the rest of the student council, based on what the feline overheard Rias say when she found Ren's dead body, have no doubt been aware of his presence since school began. Devils would easily detect the cat with their superior ears. All of Morgana's drive to maintain a record of non-detection at school turned into a serious blow to his pride after he realized the truth.

"Fine, I'll pretend to be a normal cat," Morgana relents. This is an undercover job the thief is used to, and neither he nor Ren are prepared to let the devils know more about him and his special nature just yet. So far it seems like devils and their supernatural community have no ties at all to the cognitive world Morgana comes from.

Once the pair gets away from the academy's main grounds it becomes easier to avoid other students. Few spend time around the old school building, and its walls are covered in overgrown vegetation as a symbol of neglect. Some students loiter around the out-of-view sides of the structure to have privacy at break times, but Ren heads straight for the front door. When the devil detects two people approach the same area from another direction his attention shifts to identify them.

"It's you!" the brown-haired Issei Hyoudou cries while he points an accusatory finger at Ren. Behind the fellow victim of Raynare is Yuuto Kiba, the blond male idol of the school who stands almost as tall as Ren himself. "The other damn handsome that asked out Rias-senpai yesterday!"

Ren notes Yuuto's total lack of reaction when Issei's free thumb jerks back in the other second-year's direction. The idol must be the first 'damn handsome' Issei refers to. Ren supposes he should take the boy's outburst as a compliment if Issei actually thinks he's anywhere near the fine-featured blond's level, but doubts he actually compares (Yuuto even has a beauty mark under his left eye for goodness' sake). A strong personality can do a lot to make up for physical deficiencies, though, and Ren's bold tendencies do stand out more than Yuuto's polite demeanor. Speaking of which...

"You jealous?" the wavy-haired teen responds with a straight face and an even tone while he looks down at the slightly shorter brunet.

"Yes!"

Ren and Yuuto both shake their heads while Issei begins to espouse on how unfair it is for the older student to have beaten him to asking out the redhead. Ren almost wishes he could tune most of it out, but he didn't become as good a listener as he did while in Tokyo just to lose those skills now.

"Amamiya-senpai isn't Gremory-senpai's boyfriend, Hyoudou-san," Yuuto eventually says to bring an end to the tirade, right around the point when Issei begins to accuse Ren of being here now just to ask for more dates. "He's like you."

"Like me?" Issei echoes before he turns his head to look at his upperclassman more closely.

Ren is mildly amazed by how quickly the younger teen shifts gears from outraged to curious. Apparently, confirmation Rias is not anyone's girlfriend is all Issei needed to calm down.

Ren nods at the boy's curious look to confirm he is in the same boat, then turns to continue on to the old school building.

"Let's go get some answers."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[High School DxD BorN OST: Ano Hi no Omoi]**

The club room is dark, illuminated only by the soft glow of several candelabras. Ren wonders if the dim light is more comfortable to a devil's vision than if the room were either fully lit or in complete darkness, but doesn't notice a difference right away.

 _'Maybe it just fits the mood,'_ Ren allows. The teen knows a thing or two about actions taken just for the dramatic effect, after all.

A small girl sits on one of two couches in the room, the same one Ren occupied yesterday while he waited for Rias to show up. The young woman has a slight figure, one which might have caused Ren to mistake her for one of Kuoh Academy's middle school students if not for her high school uniform, though this girl does not wear its shoulder cape. The stark white hair, made up in a short bob cut in the back with two long bangs in the front and adorned with two black cat-themed pins by her temples, is enough for Ren to identify the figure as Koneko Toujou, the so-called mascot of the school and a first-year student.

Koneko's adorable features make her a popular subject of observation and gossip in Kuoh Academy, which Ren could not have missed even in less than a month of attendance. Rumors would have Ren believe the young lady's aloof personality is another aspect of what makes her a popular mascot. Sure enough, Koneko's closed eyes don't even glance the group's way when the three boys enter the room. The girl's attention is solely given to the candy treat on a toothpick she holds, which she takes small bites out of.

"That's Koneko Toujou, a first-year," Kiba says as an introduction, though it is unnecessary since Issei also seems to recognize the girl. Yuuto's words do at least have the effect of causing Koneko to open her eyes and look at the newly-arrived trio.

Ren is struck by the girl's yellow irises. At just barely four and a half feet tall, Koneko's short frame and pale skin make her resemblance to Lavenza and her two halves assert itself in the boy's mind. If the freshman's hair were a shade more blonde than white, and her eyes a shade more gold than hazel, then Ren might have thought her a relative of the Velvet Room attendant. Fortunately, the resemblance isn't quite strong enough to make the boy think a real connection exists, though curiosity about Lavenza's involvement in his reincarnation does come back to the forefront of his mind.

"This is Ren Amamiya and Issei Hyoudou," Kiba continues for Koneko's benefit with a hand wave toward the named boys.

"Oh, hi there," Issei adds after he snaps out of a daze with an embarrassed look and a hand on the back of his head. Koneko only offers a slight nod and the quietest of hums in acknowledgement of the introduction, which she does right over Issei's words, before she turns back to her snacks. Given the reaction, Ren decides to hold back any words of his own.

Ren tries very hard to ignore the exaggerated body language of the underclassman next to him. Issei is far too excited to be in the same room as one of the school's most popular girls, and now appears to be lost in some lewd fantasy if the red cheeks are any indication. Unfortunately, Ren's desire to find a distraction from Issei leads the teen's eyes and ears to a curtain across the room and the sound of water behind it, which he has wondered about since his powerful new ears picked it up outside. More accurately, Ren's eyes are drawn to the curvy female silhouette prominently on display there.

This time Ren's gaze doesn't linger. No, really. It honestly doesn't. Ren may be a healthy young male, but he refuses to fall for what he interprets as this devil's obvious attempt at sexual warfare. All of the redhead's... bouncing... during their meeting at lunch yesterday was one thing, but this is on another level.

 _'This is the least subtle she's been about using her body as a distraction,'_ Ren considers as he sighs in resignation and turns his eyes to the opposite wall. _'Nobody would fall for-'_

Ren finds himself corrected before his thought is even complete when Issei enters an even greater freak-out than before right next to him. Apparently, the other boy has spotted the room's barely-private shower as well, and Akeno Himejima's arrival with clothes for the girl behind the curtain causes him to exclaim his perverted thoughts out loud this time.

 _'Truly this is a man who knows how to enjoy life's simple pleasures,'_ Ren thinks sarcastically.

The third-year boy's exasperation with the present member of the Perverted Trio causes him to glance at Yuuto with the hope of some solidarity between them. Rias is supposed to be the blond's friend, after all. Unfortunately, all that awaits Ren on Yuuto's face is a calm, undisturbed smile. Whether the persona is fake or not, Yuuto's reputation for being unflappable is well deserved. The boy is practically a statue of silent acceptance. Ren's solidarity is found in another direction.

"What a lewd look on your face."

Koneko's softly-spoken voice has no hint of emotion in it, but her disapproval rings loud and clear in the deadpan delivery of her words, especially since she doesn't actually look at Issei to see his face (Though Ren can confirm it was indeed a perverted expression). Ren turns his attention to the girl since the other males have let him down.

Koneko's yellow eyes actually open and drift to Ren after Issei becomes contrite by her words, a gaze the grey-eyed youth meets evenly. The lack of a second reprimand seems to indicate Koneko acknowledges Ren did not take advantage of the opportunity for voyeurism Rias created. At least, this is what Ren thinks until the younger student's gaze continues to drift and comes to rest on the bag slung over his shoulder. Koneko doesn't speak another word, but her eyes remain locked even as she brings a new chocolate bar to her mouth for a tiny bite.

 _'I guess Morgana has a fan.'_

"You like cats?" Ren asks when he makes his way to the couch and sits down in the middle. Next to the older boy, Koneko looks up long enough to offer a single nod.

Akeno introduces herself to Issei back by the room's entrance, which Ren has no doubt will prompt another inner monologue in the second-year. Since Ren already met the vice-president of the club, the older teen decides to go ahead and take a seat while he waits for Rias to get dressed.

Ren further zips open his bag after he sets it down, and a black cat's head pops out. As the duo had agreed, Morgana hops out onto the table in front of him and paces in a circle like an ordinary cat introduced to a new environment. Since Morgana didn't enter the old school building with Ren yesterday, his blue eyes really do take in the space with fresh interest, act or no act.

Koneko tenses. If Ren hadn't been on the lookout for reactions to Morgana's presence he would have missed the girl's slight change in posture, but Koneko is clearly captivated by Morgana. It isn't immediate, but after a few seconds the girl's eyes widen a fraction, then proceed to narrow slightly. In fact, the longer Morgana ignores the albino to look around the room, the more Koneko stares at the feline as if he is a puzzle she can't understand.

"You were right," the cat says after a few seconds of observation. "It's both bland and creepy at the same time."

Ren watches the other occupants of the room under the pretense of someone who shows off his pet with the expectation of attention. In truth, the brunet looks for any signs of recognition at the cat's words. Other than the initial glances drawn when Morgana was released, however, nobody bats an eye at the cat's meows. Not even Koneko reacts further, other than the continuation of her previous bafflement. The devils seem genuinely unable to hear Morgana's true voice. Ren mentally breathes a sigh of relief at this news, but still isn't sure what Koneko's problem is.

While Rias, now fully clothed, emerges and greets Issei, Ren studies his junior more closely. Koneko hasn't taken another bite of her treats since Morgana emerged. In fact, the girl put the bar she had away when the cat came out. One of Koneko's hands is next to her lap, palm up. As Ren watches, Koneko actually seems to sniff at the air, as if she might glean some clue to her puzzle in Morgana's scent.

 _'My sense of smell_ _ **is**_ _better than before too,'_ Ren contemplates. _'Has she refined her's to be as good as... well, a cat's?'_

Whatever Koneko's abilities are, it is easy for Ren to figure out the girl's problem now. For whatever reason, the girl fully expected Morgana to leap to her immediately and is disappointed to be ignored. Perhaps animals usually like her, but the girl's suspicious reaction tells Ren there is more to the story he doesn't know yet. The thief makes a finger motion toward Koneko outside of her range of vision, which Mona catches and figures out. Without a word, the blue-eyed beast makes his way to the young lady and leaps onto her lap, then looks up at her as cutely as he can.

Koneko still doesn't speak, but she does seem to relax. After only a second's hesitation the first-year's hands come up to gently caress Morgana's head and stroke his back with slow, deliberate motions.

"Wow," Morgana sighs with unexpected pleasure. "She is way better at this than Futaba."

Ren pictures how Futaba likes to roughly play with Morgana's face when she pets him and smiles. Koneko's own lips seem to have approached the barest hint of a smile as well, though the expression is still muted. Whatever troubled the girl before seems to have been forgotten, which Ren is thankful for.

 _'Whoever Gasper Vladi is, he's not here,'_ Ren observes after a look around the room. The former thief is curious about the identity of the last member of Rias's organization, the one who's name he pilfered from this very room yesterday. An unknown agent is a dangerous advantage for the redheaded devil to have.

"And welcome back to you, Ren," Rias's voice states beside the couch. The boy turns his attention to the girl and meets her blue eyes. Rias looks down on Ren with the amusement of a parent as they scold a naughty child. "Thank you for not breaking in this time."

Issei squawks in surprise behind Rias, and Yuuto and Koneko have more muted but similar surprised reactions. It looks like Ren's illegal action is news to the two, so he decides to answer with a silent smile. The expression is an admittance Ren is guilty of the crime, but also declares he feels no remorse for it. Rias just sighs in acceptance before her eyes turn toward Koneko's new toy.

"You brought your cat?" the redhead asks. The girl's curious expression desires an explanation for the unusual choice.

"His name's Morgana," Ren says, which he knows is not an answer to what Rias actually wants to know. The wavy-haired teen allows Rias to frown and open her mouth to demand clarification before he cuts her off. "And we go everywhere together."

Rias definitely notices Ren smirk after the interruption. The redhead is not nearly as amused as Ren is by the minor prank. Whatever retort Rias might have had is dismissed when Koneko speaks up, though.

"You bring him to school."

Ren and Rias both turn to the younger girl, who continues to pet Morgana.

"How did you know?" Ren asks. Even with a devil's ears, he doubts Koneko could have heard Morgana's meows all the way from the first-year classes.

"His scent is there."

 _'Well... that answers my question about her sense of smell.'_

Rias directs Issei to sit together with Ren while she stands at the head of the table between the couches, in front of her desk. Yuuto and Akeno both take seats across from the two newly-reincarnated devils, Koneko, and the yet-to-be-released Morgana. Since both boys will need a full explanation it makes sense for them to be next to one another.

"You've been bringing a cat to school, senpai?" Issei asks curiously after he takes the seat next to Ren, opposite Koneko. "How often?"

"Every day," Ren admits, which prompts more curious looks. Ren decides to hammer the point home with a proud expression. "Morgana's sneakier than any other cat. I brought him to school every day last year in Tokyo too. He wasn't caught once."

Ren espouses Morgana's past achievement both to make it clear the two are inseparable, and to assuage his animal friend's disappointment at being caught by unexpected super senses this year.

"Is he your familiar?" Yuuto asks, the blond's brow furrowed in thought. "I don't detect any magic in him."

"Ren wasn't a magician," Rias answers when the boy in question can offer no response but a curious look. The girl turns from Yuuto to the two newcomers. "Just a normal human who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time."

 _'Not exactly,'_ Ren thinks, but doesn't correct his host. It looks like the long-awaited explanations are finally about to start.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 **[High School DxD BorN OST: Omoi, Sorezore]**

Ren has plenty of experience as a silent participant in group discussions, even when he is supposed to be the leader of the group in question. The Phantom Thieves operated as a unit who required agreement by all members before any action was taken, so it was easy for Ren to simply guide the dynamic with a few comments here and there while he allowed the others to do the bulk of the work. With Rias in charge of the current presentation, Ren easily slides into old habits and quietly soaks in all she says without interruption.

What a story it is.

Morgana sends Ren a nervous glance, despite their plan for him to play a dumb animal. Thankfully, Koneko is caught up in the mood and doesn't seem to notice. Ren can hardly blame his undercover companion for the slip given what they just heard. Ren and Morgana both hoped Rias and Raynare were part of groups who just used the names of devils and angels as titles for their abilities and teams. The general idea was a setup not too dissimilar from the fight between the Phantom Thieves and Shido's organization, but with significantly fewer cognitive dimensions involved. This, though?

 _'It's a full-blown global supernatural conspiracy.'_

The truth rocks the teen's already open-minded worldview. Heaven and Hell (or the Underworld, as Rias calls it) are not only real, but have been caught up in a three-way blood war since time immemorial. Rias doesn't just use the name Gremory as a symbol, she really is descended from the demon of legend. God, as in 'the God of the Bible,' is not only real, but also has his sights set on the eradication of what Ren has become.

The supernatural world is full of creatures far more physical and less spiritual than Ren had expected. The boy spent a fair amount of time in a church last year, and even if the purpose was to practice shogi with Hifumi, the observant teen still absorbed plenty from the talks around him. Ren and Morgana also did some cursory research on the terms the cat overheard on the night of Ren's murder. Combine all of that with the knowledge Ren gained from his Personas derived from the myriad stories based on famous religious myths and the teen has a strong foundation from which to understand the concepts given now by Rias. Ren is pretty sure the similarities these beings have to what the corresponding world religions teach are skin-deep at best. It actually sounds like the texts most consider theologically non-canon have more to do with reality as Rias describes it. Ren wonders if this discrepancy is caused by a historical cover-up by the religions in question to hide the truth.

The sheer depth of this revelation is hard to accept. Yaldabaoth might have nearly taken over the entire world, but its efforts were centered in Tokyo. Rias describes a conflict constantly fought all across Earth, Heaven, and the Underworld over thousands of years, not only via open warfare but also through philosophical and psychological manipulation on a worldwide scale.

 _'_ _ **This**_ _is the true nature of the world we saved!?'_

"What have we gotten ourselves into, Joker?" Mona asks. The Phantom Thieves' former leader isn't sure how he would respond even if he could voice an answer to the cat right now.

"Have you both understood everything up to now?"

Ren gives a shallow nod. Rias has only given the basics so far, even if those alone are enough to overwhelm the boy's imagination. Ren suspects learning all the relevant details of such a long history will be an arduous process, but the setup is simple to grasp.

"Oh, uh, actually... I guess this story is a bit difficult for an average high school student."

Or not. Of course, Ren would never call himself average after what he went through last year, so Issei can probably be forgiven for his trouble. Rias seems to expect Ren's silent comprehension and Issei's hesitation, and adopts a knowing look.

"Yuuma Amano."

Ren doesn't recognize the name, but Rias speaks it with confidence. When Issei gasps next to him, the older boy begins to suspect the connection.

"You haven't forgotten her, right?" Rias asks Issei with smug superiority. "You even went on a date with her."

"I-I don't know where you heard that name from, but I don't appreciate her being talked about in some occult club," Issei says in a truly somber tone. Ren is surprised by the boy's change in attitude, even if he thinks Issei might have missed the point. "And to be honest, I'm not happy about it, so begging your pardon..."

Issei actually stands to leave, but he freezes when Rias tosses a photograph on the table between the couches. No doubt, Ren thinks, the girl has waited for just the right dramatic moment to reveal it.

It's what Ren would have done.

"Yuuma-chan...!"

Issei's surprise is a mix of shock, relief, and fear. The range of emotion on the teen's face is remarkable, but when Ren looks to inspect the photo himself it isn't what he expects.

It's a picture of Issei, his arm linked with a teenage girl in another school's uniform. The girl is a bit shorter than Issei, and she smiles at him as they walk. Ren would normally say he has never seen the girl before, if not for the suspiciously familiar long raven hair and violet eyes.

"She really did exist," Rias tells the boy on his feet. "That's a fact."

"She said her name was Raynare," Ren speaks for the first time since Rias began her explanations. All eyes are drawn to the young man, as they usually are when he breaks his trademark silence. "And she looked older than this when she killed me."

"She killed you too?" Issei asks, an odd tinge of jealousy on his face. Given the intimacy on display in the photo, Ren wonders if Issei imagines him to be another victim of the girl's seduction methods. The other boy is probably still a confused bundle of unresolved emotions in regards to his girlfriend's sudden betrayal, so Ren forgives the accusation in his tone.

"I came across you both in the park, after you were stabbed," the older teen explains evenly. Ren watches as Issei's body language relaxes from one emotion then tenses again at the painful memory he's invoked. "She was happy to kill me too, since I was a witness."

Issei doesn't look like he even tries to hide the thoughts and feelings churning inside him. The boy contemplates something for a few seconds, probably the utter callousness of his murderer. Not only did Yuuma lead on and then betray Issei, she also killed an innocent bystander without a second thought. It would hurt Ren to think of his first girlfriend being some kind of monster, and he figures the other boy is the same in that regard. Eventually, resigned to the truth laid out before him, Issei turns back to Rias.

"How did you get this?" the heartbroken boy asks about the photo.

"This girl, or rather, this fallen angel, is of the same substance as the being who attacked you last night," Rias explains. Ren notices the girl doesn't actually answer Issei's question at all. Apparently the trick is fine with the redhead when she's the one who gets to use it.

 _'Hypocrite,'_ Ren thinks, more amused than offended. The two have a few things in common after all.

"The disguise of a second-year high school student was just a way of getting close to you. What you saw, Ren," Rias adds as she addresses the other newcomer. "Was her true form."

"So now we have to deal with shape-shifters too?" Morgana moans. The distressed quality of the cat's meow seems to make Koneko worry she has accidentally hurt him somehow.

 _'This just keeps getting worse,'_ Ren mentally agrees. _'And we haven't even reached the real problem yet.'_

"B-but Matsuda and Motohama don't remember anything about her," Issei continues. "And her address in my cell phone was..."

"Fallen angels have the power to remove themselves from the minds of mortals," Rias interrupts. "It's similar to what I did to your parents."

 _'And to mine,'_ Ren thinks when he recalls his mother and father's changed memories.

Issei looks at the photo again with both longing and sadness. When it comes to the girl Ren can empathize with Issei, but on the topic of their shared experience with death Ren honestly can't even begin to imagine what the kid must feel right now. The Trickster's bonds and his journey last year helped him come to peace with his own death in record time. If not for the psychological benefits of reaching the World Arcana, Ren himself would likely still be an emotional mess after he experienced his own murder. Issei is just a normal teenager and still reels from the aftereffects of what happened to him. Ren can appreciate the kid is doing his best to cope, at least.

"Raynare accomplished her objective, so she erased all memories and records of herself from everyone around you, Issei," Rias continues.

"Her objective?" Issei wonders weakly. Rias's conversational tone and expression turn deadly serious before she answers.

"To kill you."

Next to Ren, Koneko ceases her gentle strokes on Morgana's hair and turns her attention fully to the discussion at hand. The blue-eyed cat takes the chance to turn back around and face the room properly again when Rias elaborates on her declaration.

"To ascertain whether or not there was something dangerous within you. Once that was verified, you were killed by being run through with a spear of light," the redhead states. Rias's blue gaze turns gentler when she looks to the boy who is still seated on the couch. "And since you somehow managed to get through her barrier and stumble onto the scene, Ren, she killed you as well."

Rias has only addressed the older of the two new devils a couple of times so far, no doubt because of his quiet disposition. Ren has purposefully allowed Issei to be the focus of the explanations so he can observe how the devils break down the situation for him. It is easier to look for cracks in a story when it isn't one tailor-made for you, after all.

"Come to think of it," Issei recalls, his eyes lost in memory. "Yuuma-chan did say something about sac-something or other."

"Sacred Gear," the redhead clarifies.

Ren hoped Sacred Gears would come up, for it is one of the unexplained terms Morgana overheard on the night of the boy's death. The cat manages to keep a straight face, but his human friend leans in a little when Akeno begins to explain.

 _'A power that occurs only in humans,'_ Ren ponders after the vice-president is done. _'Like how Morgana described Personas. Is it a coincidence?'_

Rias continues the explanation and states that, while most Sacred Gears are minor things, some are powerful enough to be threats to supernatural creatures like the fallen angels.

"Issei, please raise your left hand up."

Rias's instruction catches Issei off guard, but peaks Ren's interest.

"L-like this?" the nervous teen asks as he follows the direction.

"Close your eyes," the redhead commands while she pushes herself back to sit down on her desk. "And try to picture the strongest thing you can think of."

 _'Does Hyoudou still have his Sacred Gear even after he became a devil?'_ Ren wonders while Issei tries and fails to conjure a suitable mental image. _'If so then what Morgana said about Personas might be...'_

After Issei's third failed attempt to focus on Rias's request, Ren glances at the redhead to ask what she expects to happen. When the boy does so... well... the reason for Issei's inability to focus becomes immediately apparent.

Ren sighs, stands, and grabs the younger boy by the shoulders. Before Issei can ask what Ren wants, the older teen spins him around to face the other direction and away from the up-skirt shot Rias has provided him ever since she sat on her desk.

"Try now," Ren suggests tersely. The young man didn't come here for perverted shenanigans, he came for answers. The wavy-haired boy actually shoots Rias an annoyed look, but she just blinks at him with a confused expression.

 _'Does she expect me to believe she didn't do that on purpose?'_ Ren thinks. It's obvious what will win Issei over to the devil's side, after all, so Ren assumes Rias has taken multiple opportunities to show off her body because of it.

If Ren weren't biased by his own frustration, he could probably have read Rias's confusion as genuine.

"Um, maybe I can try another time?" Issei suggests meekly. The boy's embarrassment at Ren's intervention, especially since it means his distraction was noticed, is obvious. "Still, are you sure there hasn't been some kind of mistake Rias-senpai?"

Rias switches her curious gaze from Ren back to Issei and returns to her lecturer persona to tell Issei yes, he really does have a Sacred Gear he was killed for. When Issei asks how he is still alive, Ren falls back into observation mode. Even more than the question of Sacred Gears, the reincarnation process is what the new devil really wants to know more about.

"Just before your life expired, you summoned me through this flyer," Rias explains and holds up one of the advertisements Ren found in the club room yesterday. Issei seems to recognize the item.

"Have you been getting a lot of those too?" Ren asks Issei when a need for clarification overcomes his desire to watch things play out.

"No," the other reincarnated devil answers without a moment of thought. "It was given to me right before... my date."

Grey eyes narrow, and not because of the obvious turmoil they see in Issei's posture whenever the boy recalls last Sunday. Those flyers, or at least ones just like it, aren't new to Ren at all.

"Because you summoned me there, I was able to bring you both back to life. Issei, Ren," Rias speaks up as she once more gets to her feet and demands their attention. "You have both been reborn as members of the House of Rias Gremory, daughter of the Marquis of Gremory, a high-ranking devil."

Wings burst forth from Rias's back, bat-like in shape but completely black in color. The devil stands there with pride as she announces her title and position like the aristocrat she is.

"As my devil servants."

Ren can't help but think Rias looks inappropriately pleased with herself for someone who just informed two teenagers they now live in eternal servitude. Maybe she really is overly pleased, though. Morgana's story of what happened after Ren's death suggests he and Issei are both quite a catch as far as devil servants go.

A real compliment.

The other members of the occult research club rise from their seats to stand by Rias while Issei gapes at the display and Ren remains reserved. Morgana hops from Koneko's lap onto the wooden table when she stands.

"Yes," Akeno states right before all the of the other gathered students reveal their own wings in what is no doubt a display they all agreed upon beforehand. "You're both like us now."

As each member of Rias's peerage watches the new recruits with open smiles, even the previously stoic Koneko, Ren feels a change occur inside him. The internal force the teen accidentally detected when he tried to feel for the power of his Persona yesterday begins to act on its own. Because Ren knows something is about to happen, he manages to keep his balance when black wings erupt from his own back and stretch out behind him. Issei stumbles forward a step when the same happens to him, then becomes slack-jawed at the reveal.

While Issei tries to come to terms with the sudden realization of his lost humanity, Ren keeps his focus squarely on Rias.

"It's a pleasure, Issei. Ren," the redhead says, as if she has just welcomed them into a normal high school club. The redhead's confidence is daunting, it challenges the boys to even dare consider anything but submission. This is clearly a girl used to getting whatever she wants handed to her. Even worse, she has the air of someone who also happens to have the power to take what she wants if she ever needs to. Ren can't sense power in the others as well as he can in himself yet, but the vague pressure Rias projects overshadows all the slight impressions he receives from the others in the room. Confidence like the redhead's doesn't come just from being privileged, but from being dangerously powerful as well.

 _'She's strong,'_ Ren realizes. Even worse, the redhead has not offered a single word of comfort to dissuade either Ren or Issei about the evil nature of devils. The two newcomers are apparently just meant to accept things as they seem: these high school students really are evil incarnate and they have both been recruited for the cause.

 _'I guess I have no choice,'_ Ren laments. The boy sighs in defeat, hangs his head and closes his eyes to the world, lost in thought. _'If these fallen angels and devils have no qualms with killing and reviving humans like playthings then I doubt they will spare me any mercy. I'll have to play along for now, at least, and hope for an opportunity to escape later. At least Rias is-'_

"I was right," Morgana's voice suddenly interrupts Ren's thoughts. "They really do come right out through the clothes."

 **[End Track]**

Ren blinks his eyes open and turns a surprised glance toward the black cat. Morgana currently stands on the arm rest of the couch Ren was seated on, where he leans out over the side to look at the human's back. Satisfied with the confirmation of his suspicions, Morgana then hops back onto the table in front of Ren and looks up at the boy curiously.

"That's so weird."

Ren can't help it. The laugh escapes the teen long before the former leader of the Phantom Thieves can consider the option to smother it. A single loud bark of amusement dispels the heavy silence hanging over the club room. The other devils are confused by the reaction, as is Morgana, but Ren just shakes his head and smiles at his feline friend.

 _'After all we've seen and heard, this is what you find weird?'_ the boy's face asks. Morgana correctly interprets the expression, of course, and simply pouts as best he can with a cat's face since his back is turned to the others in the room.

"It **is** weird," the smaller thief defends himself. "We're in the physical world, not the cognitive one. Stuff like that shouldn't happen."

"Are you alright, senpai?" Yuuto asks, his chill smile momentarily transformed into one of sympathy instead. "I know it might be a lot to take in."

Ren ignores the blond, but doesn't press the issue with Morgana either. Despite the fact the cat's cover was nearly blown by his partner's reaction, the boy is still grateful to his friend. A distraction is just what Ren needed.

 _'I can't believe I was considering playing along, even for a little while,'_ Ren scolds himself as he returns his attention to a bewildered Rias. _'That isn't who I want to be anymore. No matter how powerful the authority is, I refuse to be oppressed again.'_

The young man is well aware that no matter how confident and capable a persona he might project out into the world to make himself seem great, the truth is he really is weak without his bonds to keep him strong. One look into Morgana's curious eyes, wherein Ren finds not even a hint of fear they are actually going to submit to these people, is all the teen needs to remind himself of who he really is.

Ren Amamiya, age seventeen, third-year high school student, a reincarnated devil, and the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Code Name:

 _ **Joker**_

"Thanks, but no thanks," the reborn leader of the Phantom Thieves announces with a cocky smile. Joker sets his bag down on the table next to Mona as he speaks. The smaller thief hops into the open space inside without hesitation.

The wavy-haired boy flexes the current of power in him so as to mimic the involuntary pulse he felt a minute ago. The black wings on the devil's back shrink away and disappear back into his body as a result.

"What?" Rias asks. The redhead is not alone in being utterly befuddled by the response.

"I've got my own concerns, so I don't have time to play butler for you," Joker answers while he swings his bag back over a shoulder. The leader of the Phantom Thieves is ready to be who he really is once more, whether his body is a human's or a devil's. "I might pop by if I have more questions, though."

"I know we usually flee from collapsing Palaces, but have you ever heard of a subtle retreat, Joker?" Mona groans at his leader's taunts. The cat's tone is filled with amusement, though. No doubt Mona wishes he could throw Rias's expectations back in her face himself.

"I'm afraid this is far more serious than playing around, Ren," Rias finally responds after she shakes off her incredulity. The devil's blue eyes narrow dangerously at her defiant servant. "You owe your life to me."

"Funny thing about that," Joker counters with a step back and a flourish of his arm toward his fellow victim of Raynare. "I don't know what deal Hyoudou-san made when he summoned you, but I do know when I was dying..."

Joker allows his posture to straighten up so his serious expression and tone are not at all diluted for the group.

"... I didn't make any wishes to live."

Confusion spreads throughout the room. The thief leaves no room for doubt in his voice and body language. To Joker's surprise, it is Issei who first manages to collect himself enough to ask the question on everyone's minds.

"You wanted to die, senpai?"

A fearful softness actually enters a few of the other devil's eyes when Issei gives voice to their thoughts. Koneko's open smile melted into her previous stoic expression when Joker first dismissed Rias, but now the small girl is one of the few who seems genuinely worried about him.

"No," the third-year answers his junior with a softer expression. "I was just satisfied with how I lived."

A current of unease flows through the room after Joker's announcement. The thief recognizes he may as well have called himself an alien life form and it would be about as believable to the current audience. Most of the other devils can't understand Joker's sentiment, and only Issei seems to visibly cheer up at the explanation.

"I know what you mean senpai! As long as I die after I become a harem king then I know I'll be satisfied too!"

Joker just smiles and shakes his head at the kid's audacity, then turns to leave with a wave.

"Catch you all later."

There must have been a signal made behind Joker's back, because before he can reach the door to exit the club room Yuuto is suddenly between him and it.

"I'm afraid we can't let you leave before you understand the situation, Amamiya-senpai," the blond explains, his polite mask still in place. Yuuto's posture isn't intended to threaten, but his voice is firm. Not only that, but the blond's smile has changed from one of sympathy to one of pity, no doubt because of how foolish he must see the new arrival's actions. Even an idiot can read the mood in the room, and it doesn't allow for such an easy dismissal.

 _'Well, this confirms my guess,'_ Joker notes. The thief's provocations worked better than intended. _'I definitely can't move as fast as him.'_

Previously, Joker didn't know whether being a devil now put him on the same physical level as the others in the ORC. The wavy-haired boy went to an empty lot before school started to test his new physical limits, but just now Yuuto managed to slip in front of the brunet from across the room in the time it took Joker to take a single step. This feat of speed is far beyond any the new devil was able to produce when he tested himself.

The thief predicted the others would move to restrain him if he tried to leave blatantly but non-violently. This allows Joker to check the devils' capabilities without his life at risk. The gamble worked, and now the thief knows he is still physically outclassed here, important information to be sure.

"Honestly, Ren," Rias scolds without any real heat, her hands on her hips. "You need to learn some patience. First you are too eager to learn and now you're going leave before I'm done?"

Joker turns his back halfway to Yuuto and maintains a casual front.

"I appreciate having a sense of drama," the boy admits, and he doesn't miss how Akeno almost chuckles at those words despite the hard stare she tries to maintain on him. "But there's a time and place for it, and you seem more concerned with looking important than actually helping. I'm going to go get some answers on my own."

To Joker's eyes it looks like Rias almost flinches, but the girl chooses to frown instead.

"I will answer all your questions in time, but I don't want to overwhelm you two right now. It's already a shame your normal human lives have been disrupted sooner than I intended. Even if you find this all easy to understand, Ren, think of Issei at least."

Joker sighs and admits to himself Rias isn't wrong. The thief might have a ton of questions he wants answers to immediately, but the emotionally-fragile normal human is a different story. The boy in question now nervously looks between his wavy-haired senior and the redheaded one, and it's true he doesn't deserve to be pushed into the deep end right away if he isn't ready.

Joker isn't prepared to let Rias use Issei as a shield, though. There's another good reason for the thief to move on.

"I need a different perspective anyway," the teen insists with a turn back toward Yuuto and the exit. "I have no reason to trust you to tell the whole truth, after all."

The jibe actually seems to bother the assembled devils, if Yuuto's atypical frown is any indication. Joker goes to move past the second-year casually, but the blond's tight grasp on his arm brings his steps to a halt.

"Amamiya-senpai, I'm afraid you'd be putting yourself in more danger than you realize if you walk away from this," the prince claims. Yuuto's words have the weight of truth behind them.

"Be careful, Joker," Morgana whispers. The cat's blue eyes scan the room's occupants for any signs of threat. "This could go real bad."

Joker doesn't try to break Yuuto's hold, but he does flex the muscles under the devil's hand. The thief is surprised to find his captor's grip isn't as tight as he might expect based on the boy's speed.

"You are part of the devil hierarchy now, Ren," Akeno adds to Yuuto's warning. The girl's polite face hides a sense of urgency, one she allows to seep into her voice. "If you deny your place in it then you will lose Rias's protection."

"Her protection didn't help Issei last night," Joker says in rebuttal. The reincarnated devil turns his head enough to view his fellow new recruit with his left grey eye. Issei, who has yet to even get over the shock of having wings now, is clearly not sure where to enter into this conversation.

"Yes," Rias says with remorse, her face sullen and downcast for the first time Joker has seen. The redhead raises her right hand to her chest and grips the fabric over her heart. "Since we had two new members to look after, I told Yuuto and Koneko to finish their existing contracts yesterday evening before they moved on to watch over you both. Because of that, Yuuto almost didn't get to Issei in time to protect him."

Rias casts a timid glance Issei's way, and even Ren can't help but be shocked by how different her expression is from the face of the confident young woman she usually pretends to be.

"I am sorry you had to go through that, my precious servant. I wanted you to have more time to live as you have been since the fallen angel ended your life prematurely, but the risk you faced by not having my name formally attached to you yet was more serious than I anticipated."

"Ah... no," the boy mumbles, no doubt lost in the unique image presented before him. "It's alright. You saved me twice, after all."

Ren wonders how many men can claim to have seen Rias look vulnerable? The redhead usually commands full control of a room without any effort. How could anyone resist this new, softer side of the young woman?

"I'll take the risk."

By being Phantom Thief Joker, of course.

With all attention back on the other new recruit, Joker actually breaks free of Yuuto's grasp to turn completely back toward the others. The action is just a test, but the new devil does confirm the other boy's grip doesn't overpower him. Joker's eyes are focused on the rest of the devils, though, and he observes Rias's displeasure at being dismissed.

"The problem isn't as simple as you being attacked by more fallen angels, Ren," the redhead replies, her posture altered once again to express her annoyance with the boy's attitude. "I don't know what your plan is, but I can't risk you disappearing for any extended time. As a reincarnated devil, your mind isn't yet accustomed to the flow of demonic power inside you. As your master, you and Issei need to stay near me so I can regulate your energy and keep it from taking you over."

What these devils say with the most casual of tones still astounds Joker. More importantly, the highly empathetic youth also notes the barest glimpse of a frown on Koneko's usually tight line of a mouth when Rias explains this new problem. Those words bother the reserved girl for some reason.

"What happens then?" Joker asks, both for his sake and the now-concerned Issei's.

"Stray devils," Koneko supplies, probably able to sense she is Joker's focus at the moment. The short girl's voice quavers with unexpressed emotion.

"Devils who abandon their masters," Yuuto clarifies from behind the older teen. "Whether they are reincarnated or pure-blood devils, strays are outlaws who are killed on sight. Devils, angels, fallen angels, other supernatural creatures, and even humans with the power to do so can all kill them without repercussion. Without the Gremory family's blessing your life will be at constant risk, senpai."

"And reincarnated devils like you and us are at an even greater risk than pure-bloods," Akeno contributes, her smile also gone in favor of being serious. "Until your mind adjusts to the demonic power, it can slowly take away your reason and mutate your body into a monstrous form. This is the state of most stray devils. Their masters are usually their first victims, and without someone to contain them their power goes berserk. If you leave, you'll be seen as a monster waiting to happen even if you haven't lost your sanity yet."

Joker's great skill at projecting a desired persona to others in any given situation does not help him hide the horrified expression this news deserves. Issei looks no better, the thief notices. Morgana's wide-eyed shock would probably reveal to the devils he can understand them if not for the fact the cat wisely chooses to hide deeper inside of his bag at the moment.

"Is that the true nature of devils, then?" Joker asks. The question sounds more like an accusation than the young man intends.

"Of course not," Rias defends her species with an affronted expression. Joker also admits to himself the other experienced devils present all look equally offended by the insinuation. "We devils are beings of desire, yes, but these cases are caused by the fact they were born human. The difference between the two can cause reincarnated devils without proper aid to become creatures of base impulses who attack and feed on people to satisfy their uncontrollable urges. In time you'll learn to adjust to the influence of your power, and until then I will help you control it."

A tense silence settles back on the club room. The only movement for a while is the repeated turn of Issei's neck as he looks curiously back and forth between the stare-off of Rias and Ren.

"See, this is exactly what I need to confirm for myself," Joker eventually declares. "Your whole system seems designed to take away our freedom and pressure us into playing along at the risk of death, or worse."

Rias sighs and shakes her head, which is not exactly the reaction Joker expects. All of a sudden the girl as gone from a staunch defender of her kind to an exasperated parent once more.

"Honestly Ren, your distrustful attitude is unnecessary. I'll have you know that you and Issei are both extremely lucky to have been reborn into my house."

Joker cocks an eyebrow while Rias takes on a confident demeanor again and looks at him with pride.

"We of the Gremory name are well known in the Underworld for treating our servants like family. I would never deceive you about such important matters, and I promise you will both be well rewarded for your service."

"R-really?" Issei pipes up, apparently taken in by the sense of comfort Rias now projects. The redhead offers her younger charge a genuine smile and a nod, then they both look to the other new devil expectantly.

Joker grits his teeth and tries not to let it show.

"If that's true, I gather there are other humans out there who _aren't_ lucky enough to be a part of your house, and who _don't_ get treated like family by their new masters?"

Issei's relaxed mood is disturbed by the other teen's insight.

"Abuse of servants isn't tolerated in the Underworld, if that's what you're worried about," Rias answers. A hint of defensiveness slips back into the redhead's otherwise aristocratic tone. "There are some who see reincarnated devils as lesser than pure-bloods, I admit, but high-class devils like myself rely on our peerages to maintain and raise our status. No one would sabotage themselves by making their own servants turn against them, no matter what their beliefs are."

 _'Not that the servants would have much choice,'_ Joker thinks, the talk of stray devils still fresh in his mind. _'And by the time they could leave without losing their minds, service is the life they've gotten used to. Not to mention being killed on sight for abandoning their master is always a threat, even if they could stay sane.'_

Joker doesn't want to make assumptions about the situations of other reincarnated devils, but it's clear the high-class ones have the system stacked in their favor.

"All I meant," Rias continues with her softer side back on display. "Is we Gremory consider our servants to be family. You'll have plenty of time to pursue your own desires as well while serving me."

"Yeah, I get it," Joker spits back. "Hyoudou-san and I will basically be free men... just as long as we do whatever you say."

Rias doesn't even have the decency to look rattled by the very accurate description of the new devils' situation. The redhead just smiles and nods.

"Well, Joker?" Mona asks as his head pops back out into the air of the dimly-lit room. "Is there a reason not to play along for now? There's a lot of risks if we try to run, even if the stray devil stuff is a lie."

Feign compliance until an opportunity arises. Joker suspects Queen would definitely see Mona's suggestion as the smart move if she were here. The stakes involved are too high to take on many risks. Joker still sees a good reason not to submit, though.

"I have one last question."

Rias, thoroughly tired with her new servant's defiance, crosses her arms in the extremely distracting way again and complies.

"Just one," the heiress allows. "I think both you and Issei have already been given enough to think about tonight."

Joker meets his so-called master's authoritative gaze and raises a single hand. The young man's finger points down to the table between the room's couches, where all eyes are drawn to the single item still upon it.

"When did you get this picture?"

Rias blinks. The unexpected question causes the devil pause, though only for a moment.

"It was taken the day Issei showed Yuuma Amano to his friends," Rias answers, her own brow raised now. The expression silently questions the relevance of Joker's inquiry.

"Not when was it taken," the thief corrects. "When did you get it?"

"What do you mean?" Issei asks. The boy is also perplexed as to what their murderer has to do with the wavy-haired boy's acceptance of their new master.

"You said Raynare used her power to erase all records of herself," Joker continues, still focused on Rias. "Did you save this picture from being erased and acquire it then, or did you already have it before?"

"Koneko took it after Issei was spotted with a fallen angel," Rias answers, still unsure about the level of importance her servant places on the subject. "I recently detected his potential myself, and having a fallen angel in my territory is always something to keep an eye on."

"So you gave Hyoudou a flyer to summon you, right?"

"Of course," Rias responds without shame. "I didn't want to risk losing Issei to them."

Issei can't help but feel elated at the positive appraisal by a beautiful woman, but Joker can tell even the easily-distracted teen sees what the point is now.

"If you knew everything in advance, why not stop Raynare before she killed us?" Joker calmly demands.

"What?" Rias asks. The girl's shock causes her to need a moment before she realizes what Joker's real question is. The redhead straitens her posture again to convey how insulted she is by the unspoken accusation. "No, Ren. I didn't mean I thought Raynare was going to kill Issei. Of course I wouldn't have allowed that! I expected her to try to tempt him into working for her. I didn't think of him being assassinated until I got to the scene. It's not unprecedented, but the fallen angels rarely take such measures these days."

"They can turn people into fallen angels too?" Issei guesses.

"No," Rias corrects. "But Grigori, the fallen angels' governing body, take in many who wish to ally with them, especially those who bear Sacred Gears. The fallen angels practically collect humans with those."

Joker isn't sure where Rias draws her moral lines. The girl speaks of Grigori's recruitment practice with disdain, yet she herself wanted to recruit Issei for his Sacred Gear as well. The girl does at least sound sincere on the issue of her ignorance about the assassination plot.

"So the reincarnation isn't always planned to be done this way?"

"None of us were dead when Rias found us," Akeno confirms. "Being reincarnated is usually offered as a conscious choice, and the ritual can be done on the living as well as the recently-deceased."

"I made an exception in your cases since your lives were already over," Rias confirms, then shifts her posture to a more casual stance. "I did not expect someone to object so much to having their life restored to them, though."

The raised eyebrow Rias sends Joker's way with her last comment seems to indicate the devil is happy to tease her new servant about his attitude again, which eases the tension in the air for the others assembled.

"I'm glad to hear it," Joker confirms with a nod. This act works to further lighten the mood of the room. Several of Rias's servants release a sigh of relief, either literally or just mentally.

The cheer lasts until Joker speaks again.

"I won't try to take Hyoudou with me, then," the third-year announces. All eyes snap back into focus on the wavy-haired boy, especially those of the one he mentions. "He can make his own decision."

"Ren," Rias states with an angry frown. "I have not given you permission to-"

"You could have talked to Issei before he was killed, but instead you waited for a chance to swoop in when you knew he would need you the most."

"Ren, there are still tensions between the Three Factions. Until I learned if the fallen angel was here on official business I couldn't-"

"I'm leaving," Joker interrupts without any hesitation, then turns back to the blond devil who still stands behind him.

"Senpai, you-"

Joker shoulders Yuuto out of his way this time, which silences the boy's protest. The leader of the Phantom Thieves hasn't let up on his workout routine since his return to Kuoh Town. Skull made a schedule for his best friend just to keep Joker in shape for when they would next run together, and the boy has stuck to it. The teen's new devil body seems to benefit from the condition his human one was in when it died, and Yuuto doesn't push back with enough physical strength to actually block the rogue's way out.

When Joker's hand moves to close around the doorknob, a smaller hand takes hold of his free wrist and tugs. Despite Joker's efforts to resist, the reincarnated devil is easily pulled back a step this time. When Joker turns his head to confront his captor, the steady gaze of Koneko is as unrelenting as her iron grip.

 _'Of course the little girl is the powerhouse of the group,'_ Joker thinks to himself. The image of Caroline kicking butt throughout the Phantom Thieves' many battles with her and her sister ghosts across their leader's mind. _'Some things never change.'_

"I insist you drop this tantrum, Ren," Rias declares. The devil frowns at Joker with her hands on her hips. Rias doesn't really look worried, and why should she? Joker is completely outnumbered, after all. Even if Mona were able to fight too the odds would still be against the pair. "There's no need for it."

Joker's determination to act as his own person is tossed aside callously by the redhead. A tantrum, Rias says, as if the fellow third-year is just a child. Joker doesn't appreciate being infantilized. Actually, on second thought, Joker believes it's even worse than being seen as a child: Rias sees the fellow sentient being as a possession.

 _'No,'_ Joker thinks. The teenager's mind recalls so many times when he and his friends acted in defiance of the corrupt, of those who abused their authority and power. Regardless of the truth revealed at the end of the Phantom Thieves' campaign, no matter the origin of their power, in the end the team managed to steal back humanity's right to choose its own fate. _'I refuse to submit.'_

Joker's imagination is filled with vivid memories of rebellion.

 **[Persona 5 OST: Awakening]**

A flash of blue fire engulfs Joker's form. Everyone is shocked by the unexpected display of magic. Even Koneko lets go of the boy on reflex, despite the lack of heat, and hops back.

Most of the devils shift into defensive postures, unsure of what the sight means. Issei in particular, still unused to the strength of his devil body, leaps backward a bit too far and slams his back into the far wall of the room. The brunet slides down the wall onto his butt, then remains seated on the floor. Issei is too busy gaping curiously at his wavy-haired senpai along with everyone else to even think about getting back to his feet.

"I said I'm leaving."

Every other occupant of the room quickly notices the smile on Ren's face. The expression is far too smug for the teenager to be surprised by his change in appearance. The Kuoh Academy high school uniform is gone, in its place is a black outfit dominated by an ankle-length, high-collared tailcoat. Only a few splotches of color exist on the teen now. A pair of pointed shoes are slightly brown in tone, and the dark grey waistcoat is decorated by small gold buttons. What really draws the attention of Joker's observers in the dim candlelight of the club room are the gloves he casually adjusts, their shade of red as brilliant as the club president's signature hair.

"Whoa," Mona breathes from beside Joker's feet, the bag he'd been in gone with the rest of the school clothes. "Is this real? I didn't think this was possible!"

Joker imagines it and another flash of blue flames sweeps out in front of his face. Left behind after the embers die is a black-rimmed white domino mask with birdlike flair on its ends and dark highlights around the eye holes. Joker's defiant gaze isn't lessened at all by the presence of the mask, and his grin grows even cockier.

"Don't get in my way."

The silence that fills the room now is more satisfying than oppressive. Joker is about to make his exit when an unexpected event stirs him.

Rias... sighs. Joker can't help but blink out of his typical smugness and frown. This isn't the reaction the Phantom Thieves usually enjoy. The teen slips his hands into his pockets casually and watches the girl.

"Ren," the redhead begins, not even the least bit mollified. "Enough is enough."

Joker says nothing and listens.

"Your quick grasp of devil magic is impressive, yes," Rias says as she shoots Akeno a hard glance. The brunette simply smiles mischievously in response. There is little doubt about who might have given Joker pointers on how to use his new powers, after all. The exchange lasts only a moment before both girls' focus returns to the masked man. "But we aren't going to let you hurt yourself by running away. Where would you even go? Do you plan to abandon your parents and school while you figure things out?"

Joker is sure a certain cafe owner in Yongen-Jaya would be happy to harbor him again if the young man actually needed to lay low for a while, but it annoys him to think Rias doesn't believe he's thought the situation through. This is a moral stand, not a child's tantrum. Joker doesn't intend to flee, he intends to ignore his self-proclaimed master's authority because it's the right thing to do.

To that end, Joker ignores Rias and turns to go.

Rias, no doubt tired of the boy's antics, gestures for Koneko to restrain him. The albino girl moves in and places a hand not on Joker, but on the door he tries to pull open. The wooden barrier becomes nigh-immovable against the small devil's supernatural strength, and the taller male doesn't try very hard to oppose her. To struggle in a strength match against a tiny girl isn't what Joker wants right now. Grey and hazel eyes meet again, this time with a plea in the latter.

"Senpai... please don't."

Joker remembers the discomfort that broke through the girl's stoicism when Rias explained stray devils. Koneko might not care about Joker personally, but there's a history there she clearly doesn't want to relive.

"Sorry, Toujou," Ren says with a turn and a step back towards the redhead. The others are all tense and Issei has risen to his feet once more, uncertainty on his face. Joker puts his shoulder bag down on the floor next to his feet. "But it seems like Gremory really needs someone to tell her 'no' once in a while."

Joker raises a hand to his mask. Just as the Phantom Thieves' leader imagines it will, the white disguise bursts into light blue flames and roars silently out from his face, around his red glove. Between his fingers Ren's eyes furrow in concentration, but he is too caught up in the moment, too absorbed in the nostalgia the situation has unearthed, to notice what is wrong. The teenager doesn't realize what energy he pulls on, he is too ecstatic by the relief he feels to have evidence Morgana was incorrect, to believe his Personas are still available to him. The ease with which the power flows causes the process to complete too quickly for Joker to think twice about it.

 _'You were right. I was chained to Hell itself.'_

An explosion of blue fire, far more intense than before, erupts in a solid column around Joker's form. While there is still no heat, pure force blows everyone back several steps as they guard their faces with their arms. Furniture and decorations around the room are tossed over by gale-like winds. Most of the devils present resist the push with minimal discomfort, though the inexperienced Issei tumbles head over heels back into the far wall in surprise. Akeno moves at Rias's command to stand before Issei and shield him while everyone who hasn't yet retracted their wings does so to keep from being blown away.

When the light dies down and the dust settles, every devil present opens their eyes with curiosity and caution. Each one discovers, to their surprise, a new occupant of the room hovering behind their defiant colleague.

 **[Persona 5 OST: Will Power]**

The appearance of the intruder unnerves even Rias, who dismissed all of Joker's arguments and displays as irrelevant until now.

The stranger is human-shaped but tall, taller than a man should be. The figure's grey waistcoat seems to match Joker's current clothes, though it wears a stark white cravat and has red threads across its torso. The similarities between the two end there. The creature's legs and arms are coated in bright red fabric which seem to flow into gloves and shoes without any separation, and its hands end in long, sharp black claws. An entirely too-tall top hat sits upon the newcomer's head

The face of the monster is completely inhuman. Like a narrowed helmet, the entire head of the being is a dark grey slab with two long horn-shaped ornaments sticking up and forward over it's line of sight. The only thing giving the creature a face is the orange and red light burning in its head; a barely-contained inferno lights up the surface in the shape of a terrifying visage, one with slanted eyes and a demonic smile

No doubt, for a good few seconds, everyone in the room but Joker and Mona assume it is a large black cape on the creature's back. When the stranger flaps its two great wings their black feathers become more apparent in the low light and the optical illusion is dismissed. The monster floats silently behind Joker, its entire body now still. Despite all the creature's abnormalities, its wings are like those the devils often see on one of their eternal foes.

"Is that... a fallen angel?" Akeno is the first to ask from the back of the room. The brunette's violet eyes grow especially cold at the thought. Issei leans out from behind the young woman with fear in his features, probably because the memories of his two near-death experiences are brought to the surface by the new presence among them.

A sword is in Yuuto's hands now, and the second-year takes a defensive pose to Joker's left. Koneko was pushed off to Joker's right side by the earlier blast, but she currently stands ready with her fists up.

"Ren, what have you done?" Rias furiously demands, her hands raised before her in preparation to annihilate the intruder. When no answer comes from either of the two figures, Rias takes a moment to focus back on the reincarnated devil before her. The woman's anger is stalled, probably by the expression the young man now wears. "Ren?"

"Joker, this is incredible!" Mona yells with excitement from the floor. "How did you... Joker?"

Worry seeps into the cat's posture when he too spots his wavy-haired friend's face.

 **[End Track]**

Joker stares straight ahead, not at Rias but completely past her. The boy's mask has become a burning fire in vaguely the same shape, but his shocked countenance is no less plain to see because of the blue blaze. Gone is the thief's arrogant flair, now replaced by a wide-eyed look of total incomprehension.

A heartbeat passes, then another. Eventually, Joker moves his head and turns back to look at the haunting figure behind him. Almost everything is as Joker expects to see it, but the missing elements are damning. There is no soft aura of light blue to encompass the red-clad figure. No mass of spectral chains slither in and out of visibility between the pair to symbolize their link. The real problem, though, isn't what the young man can't see, but what he can't feel.

No shift in physical capability.

No intrinsic protection from or vulnerability to certain forces.

No intuitive knowledge of new skills and powers.

No mental presence at all.

"Ren, what is that?" Rias asks again. The redhead is more cautious than angry now, probably since the intruder has proven to be completely benign so far.

Joker wishes he could answer Rias. The thief wants nothing more than to introduce the occult research club to Arsene, his first Persona. A flashy escape made as he busts through a window, or a wall if necessary, while Arsene covers for the two thieves is exactly the kind of exit Joker lives for. Such a move would even be a great way to further test the abilities of Joker's new devil acquaintances.

The problem is, Joker realizes as he turns the same frozen expression back towards Rias, whatever hovers behind him now isn't Arsene.

It isn't even a Persona.

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **This concludes the third chapter.**

 **I'll say again that there is a plot reason Morgana's understanding of Personas and their potential use by non-humans (Or outside the Metaverse) is limited, but the details of that won't be revealed until later. The consequences of this limited knowledge, though, begin here with not-Arsene.**

 **Seriously, I would never forget Koromaru exists. He's too adorable.**

 **Also, for anyone disappointed that the other Phantom Thieves' presence has been peripheral so far, the rest of the gang will each have their moment of introduction into this story in Chapter Four:** ** _Run Wild_** **.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


	4. Run Wild

**Author's Notes**

 **Welcome back to** ** _Persona 5:_** ** _The Phantom Rebellion_** **.**

 **I've missed writing this story.** **I think Persona 5: The Royal was announced between this chapter and the last, if I am remembering correctly.** **Hopefully I'm not too rusty now.**

 **Readers will notice the soundtrack recommendations are absent now. My situation no longer permits me to incorporate a soundtrack into my writing process, so they will not be in any future chapters either.**

 **Let us begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Run Wild**

* * *

"I am waiting for an explanation, Ren."

 _'So am I,'_ Joker thinks. The figure who floats behind the black-clad teen looks exactly like the Persona Arsene, but Joker cannot sense Arsene in his mind the way he did whenever he summoned a Persona in the Metaverse. _'What's happening?'_

Yuuto cautiously steps toward Ren with a placating gesture.

"Amamiya-senpai," the blond says diplomatically. "Whatever you are trying to do, I don't recommend resorting to violence here."

Joker ignores Yuuto's careful approach, but the younger student's words do cause him to think of the false Arsene's combat ability.

 _'Does this thing even work like a Persona? Can it fight like Arsene?'_ Joker wonders. _'It can probably strike out, but can it use skills like Eiha?'_

Barely does the thought pass through Joker's mind before the demonic figure behind him suddenly moves. Where before the creature had been content to float ominously in relative stillness, suddenly its right arm lashes out and its face turns toward Yuuto. The blond senses the danger and dodges with superhuman speed before he even sees what will come at him.

Screams fill the air, and both Issei and Koneko clasp hands over their ears in reflex. Out of the Arsene clone's open palm erupts a stream of red and black phantasms, each with haunted face-like shapes that cry in shrill agony as they flow and weave through the air. The ghastly force passes through the space Yuuto occupied only a second prior, then quickly dissipates before it reaches any other target.

Silence returns to the room.

 _'Well... that answers that.'_

"Very well, Ren," Rias says with disappointment in her regal tone. "I hate to do this, but if you must be disciplined to understand your new position then it can't be helped. I will not let you turn yourself into a monster."

"How nice of you to look out for my well-being," Joker mutters. The boy knows he's crossed the line now, even if he didn't _intend_ to have his new ally lash out at the devils. Joker only wanted to summon the real Arsene to make a statement, or perhaps serve as a distraction, but he was caught by surprise as much as the others were and missed his window to take advantage of the creature's appearance. The members of the occult research club are all focused back on Joker himself now, which means a fight is the only way out.

"I'm guessing your attack was an accident?" Mona asks from the floor by Joker's feet. "I don't know what's going on, but what's the plan now?"

 _'Good question.'_

"Yuuto, Koneko, restrain Ren and the creature."

 _'I should figure that out fast.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

A sudden slam signals Ryuji Sakamoto's late arrival home.

Ryuji ignores his mom's complaints. The former Phantom Thief Skull is in no state of mind to care about whether he disturbs his neighbors, or to answer questions about where he's been since school got out. Even though the bleached-blond, unkempt hair might make Ryuji look like a teenage punk by common Japanese standards, he's normally far more respectful of his mother's concerns. Today, though, all the boy can bring himself to do is shut himself up in his room.

Ryuji hears his mother huff on the other side of the threshold and then walk away. The boy just stands there, his back to the closed door, in silence.

Silence broken when the side of a fist slams into the wall.

"Damn it!"

Ryuji isn't sure how long he stood there, but his mom hasn't called him for dinner yet so probably not long. Ryuji waits a moment to see if the elder Sakamoto will call him out for the noise again, but she doesn't. The teen figures his mom will wait until dinner and corner him with food for a parental talk. Ryuji isn't sure he'll be able to handle a confrontation tonight.

After all, his best friend was just murdered.

 _'He's still alive!'_ Ryuji reminds himself. The teen's body limply collapses onto his bed. _'Kind of.'_

Ryuji really needs a shower, but he ignores the sweat all over his body and his red track suit and just lays face-down on the sheets. The boy went for a run as soon as Shujin Academy got out, to help clear his head, and his muscles all burn because of it.

It doesn't help.

 _'And now I've over-stressed my leg again,'_ the athlete mopes, the pain in his old injury too big to ignore any longer. Ryuji pushes himself up so he can massage the muscles.

"How the hell is anyone supposed to deal with this?" the boy questions as he performs the familiar activity.

The supernatural is real. Sure. Okay. People can handle that. Ryuji already did when he was exposed to the Metaverse. More weird stuff going on in the world isn't too much of a bigger shock, or if it is then Ryuji isn't smart enough to realize it. This revelation isn't the problem, though.

The problem is Ryuji's best friend was killed and then brought back to life as a monster, and now Ren doesn't know how much longer he'll get to 'live a human life' for.

That hadn't been an easy phone call.

"Damn it. Why... who... how... damn it!"

Ryuji really wishes he was smarter, because he doesn't even know what question he's supposed to ask in this situation. With a frustrated groan the teen throws his head back to flop onto his pillow, his eyes clenched shut.

"What am I supposed to do!?"

For a while, Ryuji just breathes deeply. The boy is still tired from his long run and confused about his friend's new life. Eventually, though, Ryuji's dark brown eyes blink open with a new sense of wonder behind them.

"What am I supposed to do?" the teen asks again, this time more slowly and carefully.

Ryuji moves up into a seated position. The boy's eyes are focused, but not on anything in his room. The environment the teen has built up around himself over the years is just background noise to him in this moment. Ryuji looks beyond the walls and into the future.

"That's the question I need to answer. I need something to do!"

Ryuji isn't a planner or a philosopher. The boy went for a run to escape his own thoughts, after all. Ryuji is a man of action, and he won't be satisfied until he does something. Ryuji doesn't even care what he ends up doing, because anything would be better than this current hell of confusion. To just sit here and wait for more updates from Ren about what he's going through and how it might ruin his life is unacceptable.

"Hang on, man," Ryuji says as he rises to his feet and heads for the washroom. The boy knows his mom won't let him anywhere near dinner until he showers. "I'm gonna help you out, no matter what."

Ryuji's best friend does need help, after all, even if Ren is probably too stubborn to admit it.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 _'I could use some help right about now!'_

Joker moves. It is an intricate dance of shadows and agility, an art refined over months of battle in the Metaverse and propelled further by a superhuman physiology. It is an elegant display, a performance worthy of any acrobat.

The movement barely gets Joker out of the way before the entire wall behind where he'd been is covered in electrical burns.

"Akeno, please don't damage the room," Rias chides. The redhead's tone is far too relaxed, in Joker's opinion.

"Duck!" Mona yells, and Joker obeys on instinct. Yuuto's blade swings through the air from behind, the wind of its passing felt along the tips of the thief's hair.

 _'At least it was the flat side,'_ Joker acknowledges as he rolls away, careful not to lose the over-the-shoulder bag he'd reclaimed at some point in the scuffle. Mona's head peeks out of the pouch, a second pair of eyes for the fight, as he holds on for dear life. _'They're still not trying to kill me... yet.'_

Yuuto steps forward to follow Joker, but is cut off when a sharp boot strikes straight down between them. The blond cringes and jumps back rather than stand and fight the red-clad demonic figure attached to the leg head-on.

Joker has to stop himself from thanking Arsene. The thing might look like Arsene, it might even fight like Arsene (Joker's intentional restriction against magic skills after the first accident aside), but it is not the Persona the thief knows. Instead of an avatar of cognition who fades in and out of existence, alight with the soft blue glow of the fires of rebellion, this Arsene lookalike is a solid physical creature. The hot glow of the figure's demonic face bears down on Yuuto without any hesitation or inherent personality.

Joker turns to look for an escape route while his pursuer is occupied, but a small white-haired girl rushes into his path. The sight causes images of Justine and Caroline as they beat the Phantom Thieves to a pulp over and over again to immediately surface in Joker's mind, and the boy feels his body flinch and tense up in response.

 _'Just what I needed,'_ Joker sighs internally as he sizes up his formidable, but tiny, foe. _'Loli-induced PTSD.'_

Once more, Joker moves.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Ann Takamaki is tired of tears.

There are plenty of romantic stories which describe the beauty of a woman's tears. The writers talk about how the grief, sorrow, or even joy expressed through tears makes the women's faces shine, how the red of their cheeks is flush with life, and how true emotion comes through their eyes as the windows to the soul or some other similar fluff.

The former Phantom Thief Panther looks at herself in the mirror and knows those words are a load a crap. The teen model doesn't look more beautiful because of her grief. Ann's fair, quarter-American features are marred by wet streaks, not just from her eyes but from her nose as well (Something those romance writers often conveniently forget to mention about crying your guts out). The only consolation to Ann's current state is her platinum-blonde hair, which hangs around her head and down her torso in a wavy mess rather than its usual pigtails and therefore hides much of her currently bloated face.

 _'At least I look better than this morning,'_ the girl consoles herself as she prepares to clean up.

Getting ready for school after Ren's late-night call had been only marginally easier than being around normal, ignorant teenagers obsessed with their own problems all day. Ann thinks she deserves no more critiques about her acting talent after she managed to pull that feat off without arousing any suspicion.

 _'This is going to be just like Shiho all over again,'_ Ann thinks as she wipes her face.

Both Shiho and Ren had come close to death (Or in Ren's case, reached it) and returned. Shiho needed to leave Tokyo to deal with the trauma of what happened to her. Ann doesn't blame her best friend at all, but she is a very social person and only being able to communicate by messages and calls doesn't fully satisfy her. Now, if Ann understands what Ren tried to tell her last night, her next closest friend is going to do the same thing: exist in the same world as her, but be set apart. Even worse, unlike when Shiho left, or even when Ren himself left Tokyo for Kuoh Town, this time there might not be any more calls or visits at some point. Ren really might be taken to a whole other world, as good as dead.

Ann sniffs, but she has no tears left to shed. The girl just grabs a brush and starts to fix her hair.

Ann thinks back to the day Shiho said she would change schools. When Ann heard Shiho's decision, she had cried on the Shujin Academy roof and told Ren how alone she felt. Who is she supposed to express her sorrow to now, she had asked the boy. Back then, Ren told Ann she still had the other Phantom Thieves, which is still true now. Right at this moment though, without Ren here to say the words himself, it doesn't feel like enough. Is that an insult to the other members of the team, or just a testament to how much Ren in particular means to the girl?

Honestly, Ann would be surprised if she is the only one of the team who feels this way.

The girl takes a breath and looks herself over. Presentable again, if not photo shoot worthy. The girl's bright blue eyes look right back at her in the mirror and question what they see. Is this the strong woman Ann promised she'd become? The one Ann had vowed to be right alongside the friend she now mourns?

"Enough. Ren's not dead, and I'm not letting him disappear on me."

Maybe there is something to what those writers say about the windows to the soul, because Ann definitely feels like she can see some fire in her eyes.

"Ren, I don't care what your new master, or whatever she is, says today. I won't let you go."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 _'She won't let go!'_ Joker realizes.

Koneko's grip on the teen's arm tightens further and elicits a wince of pain. Joker attempts to loosen the girl's hold with an aerial tumble over her head, but the albino shifts his momentum into an overhead slam into the floor and pins the thief down with her other hand.

 _'And she's a martial artist. Of course.'_

Rias wasn't wrong to send only two of her people after Joker. Yuuto's quickness and swordsmanship combined with Koneko's strength and combat technique requires all of Joker's evasive skills to keep ahead of, even with backup, and now even those have failed him.

With nowhere to go, Joker risks a glance to the other side of the battle. In the background, Arsene's clone beats its wings to get over Yuuto's head and then smashes a drop kick down at the blond. Yuuto's sword deflects the blade-like heel of the figure in red to the side, but the way he clenches his teeth suggests he is surprised by the amount of force he just had to withstand.

Joker is thankful this Persona copy can fight almost on its own since he doesn't have time to direct it himself, but the amount of thought he has had to dedicate to it only makes the fact it isn't a real Persona more obvious. Just like how the thing lashed out at Yuuto on barely any instruction at first, Ren only has to give a few general thoughts to how he wants it to act and it does so, though less autonomously than a true Persona would. The real Arsene acted on his own as a part of Joker's own personality, and could occasionally react to things independently once he was summoned. This creature acts on its own only toward the execution of a given command, and does not adapt to changing circumstances.

Right now, Joker contemplates whether he should tell his partner's lookalike to abandon the swordsman and come save him from the scary little girl or not.

"Good work, Koneko," Rias says from across the room. "Now Ren, call off your ally before you get hurt."

"Not before one of you gets hurt?" Joker asks, unable to control his snark despite the super-strong freshman's hold on him.

"I won't allow that to happen."

The way the redhead says it gives Joker chills, and he's fought a god before.

Suddenly, Mona bursts out of Joker's bag and into the air with a wild flail. Joker has a second to wonder why Mona is making a useless leap, right up until his captor lets go of him and reaches up to catch the airborne kitty. Koneko looks like she moves on pure instinct as she does so.

The cat and the girl share a silent, wide-eyed look between each other as she holds him aloft in front of her face. Mona looks like he can't believe it worked, and Koneko looks like she can't believe she fell for it.

Joker uses the chance to make sure when the younger devil next looks down, he isn't where she left him.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Yusuke Kitagawa paints.

This is not an unusual state of affairs. The former Phantom Thief Fox would rather paint than eat on most days, a habit his old teammates regularly work together to combat. Yusuke appreciates the effort, but art is his true purpose and he will suffer for it if need be. Unfortunately, right now it seems Yusuke can only suffer, not create the art meant to go with it.

Yusuke drops his tools in despair as he takes in the finished piece. The work the boy has spent the last hour on stares right back and mocks him with how blatantly insufficient it is.

The canvas joins a pile of others, multiple pieces Yusuke has painted all throughout the day, both in class and out, and through the night before as well. Ever since the phone call from Ren, Yusuke can think of no other option but to paint, to paint and to fail to capture how he feels.

"I must see it."

The artist strolls to the window of his small dormitory room. The nearly-set sun on the horizon promises a beautiful scene to come, but Yusuke knows he will not be moved by it.

"I must see this new world you've uncovered, my friend."

Once upon a time, the dungeon of Mementos in the Metaverse inspired Yusuke. The world created by the collective unconscious of humanity surely had beautiful truths within it, after all. Yusuke was eventually able to bring out the majesty of his experiences there, even though he'd needed to grow more himself before he was up to the task.

Now, though. Now! Now there was a world not of humanity. A shadow world. A secret world hidden right alongside the people rather than within them. What beauty might be secreted away in such a place? What could be learned about humans from what is found in those dark places which they are oblivious to every day? Perhaps even more intriguing a question, what could those very beings who hide in legend learn from the common human spirit in turn?

Yusuke cannot wait. The secrets of this new world must be witnessed and transferred to canvas for all to see and be enlightened by.

Perhaps Yusuke's thoughts are callous. Ren was hurt badly enough to die, and has been forced into a new life he doesn't yet have all the rules of. Most would say Yusuke should spare more thoughts for his friend's well-being, instead of longing for the same experience. Yusuke doesn't think so. Art is, after all, the young man's true purpose; everything else is supposed to be secondary.

Still, if every piece the boy has painted since last night has been discarded because they are all too full of the unwanted themes of grief and fear, well... everyone copes differently.

"Wait for me, Ren."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Wait for me, Joker!"

The young man has no intention of doing any such thing while Yuuto bears down on him. Mona is already out of Koneko's clutches, she could hardly hold the cat and catch Joker at the same time, but the two thieves are pretty separated right now.

 _'I don't think I appreciated how huge this club room is before,'_ Joker thinks as he evades an attempt to grapple him. Yuuto is a lot faster than Joker, but thankfully not as slippery. Joker is also pretty sure he can out-muscle the other male devil if it comes down to it, so he's happy to let his Arsene stand-in distract the freshman instead.

"Uh, maybe you should stop now senpai?" Issei calls, no confidence in his voice. The other new devil has been stuck behind Akeno this whole time. For someone who hasn't seen supernatural combat before, this has probably been quite a shock.

Personally, Joker is just thankful Akeno is stuck as Issei's guard. The raven-haired senior's occasional lightning bolts were bad enough to deal with before Rias told her to stop wrecking the place. Joker isn't sure he could handle it if a third combatant joined the fray.

"Don't worry, Issei," Joker's self-proclaimed master interjects with a kind tone. "It may look rough to you, but this isn't anything we can't handle."

And then there's Rias herself. The woman stands proudly in the same place she was when this whole mess began, not an ounce of worry on her face.

 _'I wish I didn't understand why she doesn't just catch me herself and put an end to this,'_ Joker thinks while he snatches Yuuto's wrist and somersaults over the boy's arm to escape another sword swing. _'But I understand too well.'_

The look in Rias's eye is the same one Joker sometimes had when the team ran into a Shadow in Mementos he wanted to turn into a new Persona mask. Specifically, it was the look Joker had when the Shadow was already significantly weaker than the Phantom Thieves, and unlikely to survive long enough to be held up for negotiations.

 _'Rias isn't stepping in herself because she wants me caught, not annihilated.'_

It isn't a pleasant realization.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

The pages of Makoto Niijima's textbook turn erratically. Some pages the woman lingers on far longer than she needs to read them, others are passed over far too quickly to absorb all of the relevant details on, and yet more are turned back to after the fact when the reader realizes she hasn't actually focused on any words for the past several minutes.

Makoto may not be a high school student anymore, but her studies haven't come to an end. The former Phantom Thief Queen dreams of becoming a police commissioner, and she has taken great care since her graduation to prepare for law school. Sadly, it doesn't seem like Makoto will be able to brush up on any material today.

 _'So much for taking my mind off the problem.'_

Makoto releases a breath in defeat and looks up around the room. The Niijima sisters' home hasn't changed much physically since last year, but it is a far greater comfort to be in ever since the two reconciled. Makoto closes the book on the dining table and shuts her eyes so she can bask in the feeling.

After a few minutes of relaxation, Makoto's reddish-brown eyes peek out from between the fingers held over her face. A notebook off to the side lays closed, but the nineteen-year-old can picture the contents as easily as if it were open. Hours ago, Makoto poured over those small pages and jotted down every stray thought and contingency plan she could think of based on what Ren told her last night. Every question Makoto could think to ask had been dedicated with at least a page of notes about what to do depending on the answers Ren gets today from the girl, the devil, who saved his life.

Sadly, more of Makoto's plans end in question marks than she would normally accept. After hours of work, the only plan the young woman can truly feel secure about is this: Ren and Morgana can't be left alone to deal with this by themselves.

 _'Ideally, if we can get those two back in Tokyo and away from those people, we'll have time to regroup and figure out a long-term strategy. It depends on how much danger the citizens of Kuoh Town are in, though... and if this Gremory person is willing to let Ren go.'_

As grateful as Makoto is to Ren's mysterious redheaded classmate for the restoration of his life (And wasn't that a roller coaster of an emotional process to cope with?), Ren's report about the girl's secretive nature doesn't fill her with confidence.

Makoto's hand reaches up and scratches at the short brown hairs of her bob cut, underneath her French-braid styled headband. The former student council president's brain works too well sometimes, and the numerous terrible scenarios her nightmares are filled with now are a product of her ability to think things through on very few details. The odds the Phantom Thieves will like what Ren learns today seem abysmally low.

The apartment door opens, and Makoto is jarred from her thoughts.

"Good evening, Makoto," Sae Niijima greets her sister with a smile. The tall, ashen-haired woman's face quickly morphs into an expression of concern when her insightful brown eyes take in her younger sibling's state. "What's wrong?"

"Hello sis," Makoto answers, a sad smile on her lips. "There's something I need to tell you. It's about Ren."

The reincarnated boy suggested the brunette let her sister in on the news since Sae is already aware of the Metaverse and Yaldabaoth. Both teens agreed the benefits of additional trustworthy perspectives on this new problem would be for the best.

"Don't tell me he's gotten himself into trouble again?" Sae responds with a shake of her head. The new defense attorney moves to the dining area and sets her briefcase down on the nearby counter. Sae takes a seat across from her sister, seems to read the younger girl's mood as being somber but not hopeless, and gives Makoto her full attention. Sae tucks her long, asymmetrical hair behind her left ear and then laces her pale fingers together on the table. "I take it this is serious?"

"Yeah," Makoto agrees.

 _'Now if only I spent as much time figuring out how to explain this as I did planning for the worst-case scenarios.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

 _'This is the worst-case scenario,'_ Joker realizes.

Yuuto stands in the thief's way, the blond's weapon an elegant flourish of defence. Try as Joker might, the swordsman has learned how to use superior speed to stay out of his range of disruption without being too far away to react to escape attempts. Ren's movements are pinned down by his opponent's experience in battle against humanoid foes. Joker is far more versed in battle against monstrous opponents. Even if many Shadows do have human shapes, those are far from the majority.

Joker mentally commands his Arsene stand-in to come to his aid, but there is no response. A glance reveals the reason for the absence. The demonic figure has put all its effort into escape after Joker's order, but Koneko has gotten a hand on its leg and refuses to let go. Despite the girl's lower weight, she easily keeps hold of the creature in red and anchors herself to the floor. Joker has no doubt magic must be involved somehow.

 _'This is exactly the match-up I was trying to avoid,'_ the young man laments. Joker's strategy to use his agility to stay away from Koneko's power while Arsene's greater reach countered Yuuto's speed fell apart once Rias caught on and commanded her servants to switch targets.

Technically, it would be worse if Rias herself stepped in, but that isn't a scenario. That's a massacre.

"What do we do, Joker?" Morgana calls out, his voice unheard by the other devils. The feline is by one of the room's larger windows, a perfect escape route if not for the fact Yuuto and Koneko devote most of their tactics to block any path toward it, even though it has made the fight last longer than needed. The two seem to take Rias very seriously when she says she doesn't want Ren to escape.

 _'I need a weapon,'_ Joker realizes. The thief's Metaverse outfit materialized on him, but none of his knives or pistols came with it. To hold off Yuuto bare-handed and alone is a fool's errand.

A loud crash signals Koneko's successful overhead slam of her opponent into the floor. The Arsene clone is stunned enough for Koneko to mount its chest and push it down with her left hand. The girl's right hand rises up in a closed fist, ready to smash down into the bigger creature's stomach.

The girl's face shows not a hint of emotion.

Yuuto blurs ahead just one step at high speed and catches Joker off-guard. The flat side of the blond's blade sweeps across the air toward the thief's head. A red glove rises to intercept, but Yuuto has timed the move perfectly to just barely slip by before it can reach.

 _'I can summon something like a Persona. Is a weapon really beyond me?'_ Joker wonders as he watches his defeat come at him as if in slow motion.

A faded memory slips through Joker's mind. The Trickster pictures the Velvet Room, an electric chair, and the image of his first Persona as it promises to return. The memory is crystal clear. Joker can easily imagine it like he is right there again.

Koneko's fist passes through empty air after the creature beneath her erupts into a cascade of lights. The girl falls through the space between her and floor and catches herself with grace. Surprised amber eyes look up to see several streams of white and blue slip through the air toward Joker faster than the human eye could have followed, then coalesce with the flames around his face into a sphere where the boy's right hand is.

Joker doesn't think, he just reacts. The hand about to fail to intercept Yuuto's weapon closes around the white orb of raw power and, in a flash, a familiar weight settles into the Trickster's grasp. A short, pointed cane with a spherical decoration on top.

A clash echoes when Yuuto's blade strikes unexpected resistance. Rather than block the blow, Joker allows his wrists to turn and ducks his head. The weight of the cane's shaft falls over Joker's temple, across which Yuuto's sword slides over and past him. The swordsman's perfectly-timed take-down fails, and as a result Yuuto himself is now vulnerable.

Joker reaches up to grasp the length of the cane with his free hand and turns his waist. With all of the devil body's considerable might, Joker slams the round top of his weapon into Yuuto's diaphragm. The swordsman buckles under the blow, breath and spittle blown clear out of him before he is launched backward across the room.

A beat of silence, then Joker stands and playfully spins the recreated tool around in his hand.

Arsene's Cane. The original was created when the Persona Arsene was Itemized, fused with a real-world knife to transform it into a new, more powerful Metaverse weapon. Apparently, the false Arsene doesn't require any elaborate rituals or materials to produce the same result.

"Well, this has been fun," Joker quips while Yuuto is still incapacitated. "But I've got to go."

In a flash of blue flame, a new mask appears on Joker's face.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

The sound of computer keys clacks endlessly in Futaba Sakura's room, a space lit only by the multiple monitors in front of the girl.

Internet searches. Message boards. Public records. Sites on the dark web. Hacked databases. The former Phantom Thief Oracle scours all of these sources through her wide, circular glasses with a fervor even greater than her most passionate days as the famous hacktavist 'group' Medjed. This time, after all, it's personal.

 _'Mythological reference only.'_

Click.

 _'Potential lead, follow up later.'_

Click.

 _'Rumors of supernatural involvement.'_

Click.

 _'Claims impossible to verify, need different source.'_

Click.

 _'Paper trail. Top priority.'_

Click.

And so it goes, as it has ever since Ren hung up last night.

"Futaba, please eat something at least."

The girl doesn't turn around or even flinch despite the fact she genuinely didn't notice when her adoptive father entered the room.

Sojiro Sakura sighs when he receives no answer. The older gentleman rubs the back of his slicked-back dark hair when he places a plate of curry on a stack of boxes near his daughter's chair, just within her peripheral vision. Sojiro isn't a young man, but he rarely looks quite as old as when he's worried for his little girl's health. The stress adds unnecessary lines to Sojiro's otherwise handsome features, and makes him feel like his hairline has receded even further.

Futaba is aware of Sojiro observing her disheveled state through his own glasses, but she herself has no mind for it. So what if there are circles under the girl's eyes, or if her long, orange-dyed hair is so neglected that more than the usual single strand is out of place? There is work to be done!

"I'm not going to call in sick for you again tomorrow," the middle-aged man warns and crosses his arms. "What you told me last night is a concern, but you finally got to start going to school again. The kid isn't dead, and I'm sure he can handle whatever happens next."

There is a gruff fondness in Sojiro's voice when he speaks of Ren, but Futaba is deaf to it at the moment.

"Yes. School. Very suspicious."

"Right. School is important and... wait. Suspicious?"

Futaba's chair swivels to let her face another screen. One rapid series of clicks later and a tab is opened up to a website.

"Kuoh Academy?" Sojiro asks. The man strokes his chinstrap beard as he looks over his daughter's shoulder at the monitor.

"Ren's school. Formerly girls-only, now co-ed. Recently started receiving large funding increases from anonymous donors over the past few years."

"Okay," Sojiro nods. The man's tone asks the question he doesn't bother to voice: what's suspicious about it?

"Anonymous donations coincide with changes in leadership and the majority of staff members. New faculty and administrators have no prior background in education. Paper trails of school finances sealed. Electronic trails funneled through multiple shell companies."

Sojiro grimaces, never fully comfortable with his daughter's casual disregard of the law when it comes to hacking but unwilling to stop her all the same.

"Futaba, you may have found some shady business deals or something, but it might not have anything to do with-"

"Also, the website tried to brainwash me."

When Sojiro fails to speak for a few seconds, Futaba turns back to her first screen and starts to work on her investigation again.

"What?!" Sojiro demands, the anger in his voice strong enough to break through his cool demeanor.

"While examining the academy's website for clues I started to think I should apply to it," Futaba explains while she continues her work. "I thought someone with my skills and intelligence should go somewhere worthy of them. They weren't my thoughts, though. I don't care about worthiness, I just want somewhere comfortable."

Since Futaba only managed to overcome her agoraphobia-like anxiety with the Phantom Thieves' help less than a year ago, Sojiro doesn't need to question why she would prioritize comfort over utility. Shujin Academy isn't the only school the genius could have gone to, but it still has some familiar faces from the Phantom Thieves in its third year so it easily won her top pick. It's less stressful for Futaba to ease back into a school environment when people she trusts are nearby.

"So, it's like what you said happened to Ren?" Sojiro questions.

"He thought not to go through the park," Futaba confirms. "Not sure if the school tries to hypnotize everyone or just potential students, or maybe just students who know they're talented like me. Need more data. A group who can implant thoughts is too dangerous to leave alone, though. I have to find them."

"You also need to eat and sleep," Sojiro argues as he manually turns his daughter's chair around to face him. "I know you can go a long time without it, but its still not health-"

Sojiro freezes. Futaba watches as the man's expression twists from surprise to sorrow. The girl wonders what the cause could be, but her keen mind figures it out quickly. The bloodshot eyes and obvious tear tracks are the likely culprits. Futaba thinks she probably should have cleaned those up, at least for Sojiro's sake.

"Futaba."

The sound of the name drips with empathy. The misty look in Sojiro's eyes is one he only shows when he remembers the girl's mother.

"I won't lose Ren," Futaba protests through a crack in her voice. "Not like... not like..."

"Shh. Shh. It's okay," Sojiro interrupts and kneels down to the much shorter girl. Futaba finds herself pulled into a tight hug, her body powerless to resist.

"I don't want to lose him, dad," the girl says through fresh tears.

"We won't," Sojiro claims. The man calls no attention to the beloved title which rarely slips through his adopted daughter's lips. "He isn't going anywhere."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"You aren't going anywhere," Rias claims. "I will stop you myself if I have to, Ren."

"I'll have to take a rain check," Joker refutes and raises a free hand to his new mask. "I don't feel like tangling with you just yet."

 _'Not until I get a sense for how powerful a Persona copy I can create. For now, though, let's see if my hunch is right.'_

Joker's mask turns into blue fire and burns harmlessly around his eyes once more. The other devils watch as a burst of light emerges from behind the thief and erupts in a wave of power. When the light clears, another figure has emerged from nowhere to battle at Joker's side.

"Uh... isn't that one of those mascot characters?" Issei asks.

A white body, stubby limbs, blue boots, a jester's collar, a two-horned blue cap, and a black cartoon face. The small figure floats and bobs childishly in the air behind Joker, the spitting image of the Jack Frost dolls which can often be won in arcades across Japan. Humanity's unconscious preconceptions and the summoner's individual viewpoint both affect the appearance of a Persona, after all. While this makes Jack Frost's appearance unusually trendy for a mythological figure, it does have one great benefit in this particular situation: he is among the easiest Personas for Joker to _imagine_.

"Catch you all later."

At Joker's command, the Jack Frost copy rears back and then breathes a torrent of icy wind in a back-and-forth pattern. Wherever the magical creature's breath hits, large chunks of ice spurt up from the ground. The masses quickly form together into a barrier and cut Joker and Mona off from the members of the occult research club.

"Let's go," the boy says says soon as his view of the devils is blocked. Joker jogs to Mona and lets the cat jump back into his bag. "It won't hold them for long."

Joker can picture Koneko being able to punch through the ice wall in just a few swings, but it should still buy the thief enough time to escape. The Jack Frost copy is left to keep building up the mass of ice in order to prolong how long it can withstand punishment.

It doesn't last.

Joker barely has time to kneel on the windowsill before the ice is completely destroyed. Without warning, a torrent of red energy blasts through the wall and engulfs the snowman-like figure who created it. The imitation of Jack Frost is immediately destroyed and disperses in an explosion of blue flames. Joker's mask returns to normal on his face, but the teenager also feels a terrible mental backlash at the same time; the sudden migraine threatens to stun him with its intensity.

 _'What was that?'_ Joker wonders, pointlessly. There is only one answer.

Rias steps through the hole she effortlessly blew in the solid barricade. A thin aura of power is alight around the devil, one which makes her red hair wave and twist ominously in a nonexistent wind. The girl's eyes are devoid of amusement when she locks them onto her renegade servant.

Joker ignores his headache to meet Rias's stare, the boy's own eyes alight with mischief. Joker smiles, makes a mock salute, and then falls backwards out of the window.

"Joker?!" Mona questions. "Where are we-"

 _'Come on, come on, come on.'_

Before Mona can finish his protest, the black wings of a devil erupt from Joker's back. The thief's momentum shifts before he even finishes the short drop from the second floor window to the ground. Joker hurls himself back up the way he came, but to the side and out of view from the window. With a grace obtained through constant practice, Joker uses a hand to hoist himself up and lands on the roof of the old school building. Below, Koneko and Yuuto leap out of the window onto the ground and begin to look around for their escaped target.

 _'I can fly. Awesome.'_

Joker quietly creeps over the roof to the other side, ready to disappear into the night.

"Roof."

Joker pauses in his escape when his devil ears pick up Koneko's quiet voice.

 _'Oh yeah. Her nose.'_

With a halfhearted mental curse for all the troublesome loli girls of the world, Joker leaps from the roof and makes a mad dash for the nearby trees.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Miss Okumura, I really must object."

"You have already made your objection clear, Mr. Takakura," Haru Okumura responds. The auburn-haired college student sits with perfect poise in front of Okumura Foods' stand-in president. The large desk between the two is filled with documents, several of which Haru brought today herself. "Regardless, I must do what is best for both myself and the company."

The former Phantom Thief Noir looks upon her company's current leader with a kind face. Haru's youthful features and honest brown eyes, framed between two large tufts of light auburn curls on either side of her head, give the young woman a naive appearance sometimes, but she knows Takakura will recognize the drive and stubborn will hidden beneath. The teenager has even eschewed her favorite pink cardigan today and wears a more professional shirt and jacket instead, despite the personal nature of her visit.

"May I at least ask what has prompted such a sudden change of heart, Haru?" the older man asks. Takakura's body language relaxes and he shifts to a less formal form of address. The man is less a business associate now than he is a personal mentor figure, one who Haru has enjoyed the last several months with as she prepares to take on the leadership of her father's company herself one day. The care with which the man questions Haru's new course of action is certainly genuine, of this the girl has no doubt.

Haru also has no doubt it will not stop her.

"It may seem sudden to you, Takakura, but this is a result of quite a bit of research and thought on my part," Haru lies. These decisions were made today, some only after a few brief conversations with other members of the Phantom Thieves. "Besides, I am not finalizing anything right now. I simply wish for everything to be ready should I choose to do so."

"You realize attending meetings will be very different if you do so by call," Takakura continues. "The coffee chain project was your idea, Haru."

"And I will still be overseeing as much as I can," Haru responds, this time honestly. "But we both knew my business studies were going to take away much of the time I had to be here in person before college began."

Takakura nods, and Haru knows she will wear him down soon.

"While I understand all of that, it is your transfer of funds which truly concerns me."

"I am only moving a small amount to my personal accounts," Haru responds. The girl smiles when she thinks of how her friends' eyes might boggle at what she calls a small amount of money, but in context of what she's actually worth it isn't much.

"Yes, but why would you need this much capital while going to business school?" Takakura counters.

"I plan to make several small investments over the next few years," the girl calmly explains, then offers an amused smile. "I hardly plan to spend it all in one place, Takakura."

The older man sighs, and Haru has no doubt his thoughts currently lament the impetuousness of her youth.

"Since you are being careful enough to not risk too much of your future on this I suppose I cannot object further," Takakura finally gives in.

The man doesn't have much choice.

"I appreciate both your concern and your understanding," Haru says with a grateful nod. "Please make sure everything on your end is prepared should I need it."

After all, unless Ren gets some very good news from the devil who brought him back to life today, the Phantom Thieves need to be ready to act. Haru will not allow any material costs to prevent the team from going to their leader's aid.

And if a part of Haru's heart sings in excitement at the chance to violently punish anyone who might wrong the man she cares for most in this world, especially the raven-haired monster who dared try to take him away from her? Well... she is certain nothing of the sort will show on her cute face.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"For someone with such a cute face, Koneko is a real pain in the rear!" Mona whines.

"Quiet," Joker scolds the cat. He knows how good devil ears are, after all. Still, the boy on the run can hardly blame his companion for the need to express frustration. Koneko really is responsible for the ruination of the pair's escape.

Joker hears rapid footsteps at the edge of his senses. The thief changes directions, leaps in the air to avoid a tangle of roots, grabs a low sturdy branch to swing off of, and lands softly on a patch of dirt further in the woods.

It won't last. Koneko may not be fast enough to keep up with Joker, but she can unerringly point the much swifter Yuuto in his direction. Joker has had to zig-zag through the trees behind Kuoh Academy for a solid ten minutes now just to stay ahead of his pursuers, but the gap between them only shortens as time passes.

"This way, Koneko?" speaks a voice Joker doesn't want to hear.

 _'I think I pissed Rias off,'_ the teen laments as he slips behind a particularly thick trunk and signals Mona to be silent. _'If she's joined the hunt, I'm toast.'_

It's a depressing thought, and one Joker crushes instantly. The boy is a rebel, not a quitter. All the optimism in the world doesn't change the fact Joker can hear another body fly through the air overhead, probably Akeno, as the others all close in on his current location. Even Issei is there asking questions, right next to Rias by the sound of it.

 _'Come on, Joker. You've hid from tons of Shadows with a whole team at your back. You can do this.'_

Joker tries very hard not to think about how unperceptive Shadows are, and how easy it is to hide from them as a result.

 _'Stay calm, stay silent, leave no trace.'_

Akeno lands on one side of the pair of thieves. Yuuto closes in from another. Rias, Koneko and Issei block off the route back to the Academy.

 _'You won't find me.'_

Joker and Mona hold their breaths, but their heartbeats will give them away soon enough.

 _'I'm not here.'_

Sweat threatens to fall from Joker's brow as he concentrates on every trick of stealth he ever picked up in the Metaverse.

"There."

Koneko's quiet voice may as well be the blare of an alarm for how disastrous it is to the thieves.

"So, this is Ren's hiding place?" Rias asks, her tone suspicious.

"No," Koneko corrects.

A pause, then Joker and Mona both look into each other's eyes.

 _'No?'_

"Morgana."

"Mor... Koneko, don't follow his cat! Which way did Ren go?!"

"His scent disappeared."

Joker's attention on the conversation of interest is interrupted by Akeno, who walks up to the tree he's pressed against on her way to rendezvous with Rias.

 _'Focus. I can't be found.'_

Sure enough, Joker's completely unwarranted confidence is rewarded when Akeno strolls by him without a hint of suspicion. The vice-president wouldn't have had a clear view of the thief from her angle of approach, but surely she would have noticed someone hidden in her peripheral vision under normal circumstances. Between this, the weapon, and the copies of Personas Joker has created, the boy begins to suspect the true nature of what's going on.

"I didn't see any sign of him from above, Miss President," the ponytail-wearing girl reports to her master.

"I can't find any tracks in the direction Koneko pointed me either," Yuuto adds when he arrives. The group of five is gathered so close to Joker he can hear their heartbeats, yet they make no mention of his own.

"Very well. Ren said he goes everywhere with Morgana, so he must be close. Let's catch that cat."

Joker and Mona exchange another wordless communication. The cat doesn't even hesitate to dart out from their hiding place the moment Rias's footsteps get too close. The plan to split up and get back together later is ruined by Yuuto's speed, however. The blond snatches Mona by the scruff of his neck before the little thief can get two bounds away.

"Got him," Yuuto declares. Morgana puts up a valiant effort to hiss and scratch and wiggle free, but the devil easily holds the feline body out and away from his much-admired face. "No sign of Amamiya-senpai, though."

Joker takes his cue to slip just a little further around the trunk of the tree, confident no one will notice him as long as he avoids their direct line of sight. Sure enough, when Rias peeks her head around she fails to pick up on any signs of the boy's presence.

"Well, this is troubling," the redhead states as she walks further into the trees.

"Is Amamiya-senpai going to be OK?" Issei asks, though no one is quick to answer him.

 _'I need to get out,'_ Joker realizes. As long as the group moves around the area like this, one of them will eventually walk to where he's in plain view. _'Mona will be fine. Even if he can't escape on his own he'll be the perfect spy.'_

Joker doesn't completely discount Mona's chances of escape, though. Devil or not, Koneko must have to sleep sometime. Joker still does.

 _'I need to run. Without Mona's scent I can get away, but I need a direction.'_

For all the good Joker's new devil senses are, they don't help him here. The boy can hear where every member of the occult research club is, but he can't tell where they are looking at any given moment.

 _'I need a route. I need to know their lines of sight. I need to **see**.'_

And just like that, someone flicks a light switch on the world.

The clear view of the forest around Joker, one granted by vision even better at night than a human's is in the middle of the day, is dimmed slightly. It is as if a filter is drawn over the devil's eyes, but in exchange for the darker world a much greater sight comes into clear focus. All around the thief, through any obstacle in the way, the unmistakable image of bright, colorful auras spring to life. Each person here is seen clearly in a 360 degree field of view, their forms aglow with life. Each person here also has a distinct feature, separate from their highlighted bodies.

For the devils, Ren can see translucent images of their hidden wings.

Within Mona, the familiar glow of a Persona's inner strength is present.

Around Rias swirls an illusory version of the sinister red aura Joker saw for a moment in the club room.

Within Akeno, a phantom set of black feathered wings stand alongside her bat-like ones.

Inside Yuuto's hands, fires burn around red-hot blades.

On Koneko's body, ghostly images of cat ears and a tail attach themselves.

For Issei, red scales cover his left arm.

Each and every one of the figures present is kept track of easily with a sixth sense beyond even a devil's heightened perception.

 _'The Third Eye. Perfect.'_

It doesn't take long for Joker to find an opportunity for escape since he can now track all the lines of sight in play at once. Without a sound or even a footprint left behind, all non-visual trace of the man erased by his magical stealth, the rogue slips away beyond the forest and into Kuoh Town itself.

 _'I'll come back for you, Mona. Stay strong.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Aah, this is heaven," Morgana purrs. The black cat lays on his back in Koneko's arms while the silent girl gently rubs his belly.

 _'Oh right, spying.'_

Morgana does his best not to get lost in Koneko's expert ministrations and turns his attention back to the discussion going on around him. The cat doesn't know how Ren managed to pull off the disappearing act, not to mention the other stuff with the weird Personas from before, but he does understand he's in the best position to learn more about these devils when they're not ready for it.

"So we're taking Ren's cat hostage, then?" Akeno asks with a deceptively tranquil smile. Morgana can hear hidden excitement in the girl's voice.

Koneko's arms shift, as if to protect the cat in her embrace from her senior student.

"Now Akeno, don't be so crude," Rias lightly admonishes. "I don't think Ren was lying about how attached he is to Morgana, though, so as long as we keep the little one close it should lure him back to us. You don't mind keeping Morgana safe, right Koneko?"

The albino simply nods, then begins to dote on her charge once more.

 _'Oh yeah, that's the spot.'_

"This is a big problem, though," Yuuto states, his handsome face marred by serious concern. "Amamiya-senpai is a stray devil, and we already know there are multiple fallen angels in town."

Next to Koneko, Morgana watches Issei's body shudder in remembrance.

"If word of this gets out, Miss President's reputation may be hurt."

"That's the last thing on my mind right now, Yuuto," Rias responds with determination. "We need to focus on finding Ren before someone hurts him, or he hurts himself."

"How did this happen?" Akeno wonders. "Did his demonic power go out of control?"

"Senpai didn't seem like he went crazy to me," Issei argues, then flinches when all eyes turn curiously toward him. "I mean, he was pretty straightforward about everything. He just... doesn't trust you guys, I guess?"

"Issei is right," Rias agrees. "I kept a close watch on both of their energies. Neither is close to going out of control. Ren is just..."

"Rebellious," Koneko finishes after her master trails off. Morgana can't help but notice Rias's eyes, which seem to linger on the shorter girl for a tad longer than necessary after the comment.

"What I want to know is how he did it all," Yuuto says with a frown. "How much demonic power does Amamiya-senpai have? Are you sure he doesn't have a Sacred Gear?"

"I am, but even if he did it wouldn't explain everything we saw," Rias answers. "Summoning a creature is one thing, and turning it into a weapon might still be the same power, but he summoned a completely different creature as well and can also hide his tracks and scent. This is too much. What on earth did you teach him last night, Akeno?"

"I couldn't have taught him what even I can't do," the vice-president says in her defense. A sad look slowly comes over the girl's unearthly beauty as she remembers her talk with the boy. "I told him some of the basics about what devil magic is, to get him interested in his new life. He shouldn't have been able to cast even a simple spell without more instruction, though. Were they familiars? Is Morgana one as well?"

Many eyes turn to the undercover thief, who just chuckles nervously in response and thanks his lucky stars none of the devils can understand him.

"No, I sense no bond between Morgana and Ren," Rias explains. Morgana can only assume being able to sense things about Ren this way must be a side-effect of what the redhead described before, the need for a master to balance and control a reincarnated devil's power so it doesn't overtake them. "There was a link between him and those other creatures, but it was no summoning spell. It felt more like they were... created by him."

"I don't think those were spells at all," Yuuto suggests. "I'm not a magic-user like you and Akeno, President, but I can still do small tricks without needing a spell circle. It seemed like Amamiya-senpai wasn't putting any more effort into what he did than I would if I used magic to boil water."

"Pure demonic power. An effect so simple to understand you don't need a magic spell to get it right," Akeno agrees. "But the scale is completely off. How could a normal human understand everything he did to the point he can execute it on pure instinct? Creating ice without a spell is one thing, but to conjure a separate body from yourself that fights on its own and also creates ice? Thousand year-old devils can't do such things without a prepared magic circle to handle it."

No one has an answer, but it is Rias who breaks the silence with a hand held over her mouth in thought.

"Infinite potential..." the redhead mutters to herself, barely audible to Morgana's feline ears.

"What's that from?" Akeno asks, but Rias answers with a shake of her head.

"Never mind. As I said, we need to focus on finding Ren before he gets himself killed. Solving the mystery of his abilities can come afterwards."

As Morgana watches, Rias raises her right palm toward the sky and a red circle filled with intricate designs spins in place above it. A small round creature emerges from the light, one with black bat-like wings and ears but surprisingly human eyes and a wide smile. The tiny black legs and demonic tail on on the bottom of its spherical pink body hang in the air as it flaps in place.

Around Morgana, similar red lights begin to flare. In seconds the other devils have also called new creatures to the scene.

In the hand not holding Morgana up, Koneko holds a tiny white kitten who easily fits in her palm. It wears a blue ribbon collar with two little bells on it.

On Yuuto's shoulder sits a small, golden-brown bird.

Around Akeno's feet stand six little ogre-like imps with tiny horns on their heads. There are two blue, two red, and two green.

 _'What on earth are these?'_ Morgana wonders.

"I'll keep watch over Ren's home. He wanted his parents kept out of this, but he may try to contact them," Rias states. The bat creature takes off into the night without any other prompt required.

"Yuuto, you keep an eye out for fallen angels. I don't want one of them to find Ren without us finding him too."

The blond bows as his bird takes flight, high into the sky. Yuuto's own wings grow out and carry him up moments later.

"Koneko, keep hunting for Ren's scent. However he disappeared, I don't believe he can keep it up forever."

The girl nods and the small kitten in her hand jumps to the ground before it dashes off toward town. The girl herself turns to take a different route, but also begins to walk away.

 _'These animals and monsters must be pets or servants or something,'_ Morgana realizes. _'Joker has more eyes to hide from as he thinks! He won't know to avoid them! This is bad.'_

"Akeno," Morgana hears back from the way he and Koneko left. "You'll be responsible for scouting out the school grounds. Keep watch over the buildings and look for any signs of Ren hiding here or trying to sneak back in."

"Do you wish to handle his absence from school tomorrow, Miss President?" the other woman asks while Morgana looks back and watches her little ogres scurry away in different directions.

"Yes. And I'll have to let her know too," Rias says with a defeated sigh. For reasons Morgana can't begin to guess at, Akeno giggles.

 _'Who is she talking about?'_ the thief wonders.

"Um, Gremory-senpai?" Issei asks, just as Koneko begins to carry Morgana beyond the range he can listen from. "Is there anything I can do to help? I don't want Amamiya-senpai to get killed again like we were before!"

"You don't need to worry about this, Issei. We're quite capable, and you still have a lot to learn," Rias responds, her voice barely audible to the cat at this distance. "In fact, I wanted to give you and Ren a chance to see what real devil work is like. Why don't I let you try it out yourself, to get your mind off..."

Whatever devil work Rias intends to distract Issei with is lost to Morgana's ears when Koneko leaves the trees entirely and begins to walk the streets of Kuoh Town.

 _'Be careful, Joker. I'll see you soon.'_

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **This concludes the fourth chapter.**

 **As my profile states, a change in living situations caused me to lose the writing time I expected to have when I started posting on this site, hence the delay of several months. I have a new writing schedule I'm trying out now, which allowed me to write this chapter, so I hope to return to more regular updates on all my stories soon. Here's hoping for the best on that front.**

 **Readers will probably notice by now that the mechanics of the setting in this story won't be 100% canon-compliant. This is intentional, based on what I believe will let me tell the best story I can. DxD's magic system rules are pretty soft, after all, and Persona mostly has game mechanics rather than narrative ones. Blending the two together is part of the fun of this crossover for me, and I hope you'll enjoy it too.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


	5. In Starlight

**Author's Notes**

 **Welcome back to** ** _Persona 5:_** ** _The Phantom Rebellion_** **.**

 **There was a long wait between chapters again. That's mostly because I didn't work on any stories for the last couple months of the holiday season. It's good to be back, though.**

 **UPDATE: The last scene has been updated.**

 **Let us begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: In Starlight**

* * *

 **[Group Chat]**

 **[Ren] I have news.**

 **[Futaba] It's about time!**

 **[Ryuji] What's the deal?**

 **[Ann] Are you and Morgana OK?**

 **[Yusuke] We await answers.**

 **[Haru] Have the devils harmed you or Mona-chan?**

 **[Makoto] Everyone, please let Ren answer.**

 **[Ren] To start, it isn't just devils.**

 **[Ren] The whole world is mixed up in a secret supernatural conspiracy.**

 **[Ren] It sounds like almost every mythical creature you can think of has a real version somewhere.**

 **[Ryuji] Holy shit.**

 **[Futaba] And I never caught wind of this online before? Unacceptable!**

 **[Yusuke] The possibilities of this revelation are staggering.**

 **[Makoto] Futaba, if this is true then you probably dismissed any evidence of it you did find before as nonsense.**

 **[Futaba] Stupid common sense! It's a debuff after all!**

 **[Ann] I'm not sure I can wrap my head around something as big as that right now.**

 **[Haru] Ann is right. More importantly, how does this affect you, Ren?**

 **[Ryuji] Yeah, dude!**

 **[Ryuji] If devils are real and you're one of them, what does it mean?**

 **[Ryuji] Are you going to eat souls and live in hell now?**

 **[Ann] Ryuji! Stop it!**

 **[Ryuji]** **What? I'm worried!**

 **[Haru] We all are.**

 **[Ren] Let me explain.**

 **[Ren] I don't have the full scope on devil society right now.**

 **[Ren] But they regularly turn other creatures into new devils, which is what happened to me.**

 **[Makoto] To what end?**

 **[Ren] To create servants. I'm supposed to work for Rias for the rest of my life.**

 **...**

 **[Ren]** **However long that is now.**

 **[Futaba] Rejected!**

 **[Ryuji] Hell no!**

 **[Ann] No way!**

 **[Makoto] We obviously won't allow it.**

 **[Yusuke] How uninspired.**

 **[Haru] Shall we destroy them?**

 **[Ryuji] Good idea. We can be there in a couple of days!**

 **[Futaba] Less. I've already mapped the fastest route.**

 **[Ren] Guys.**

 **[Yusuke] I shall preserve their final moments in art.**

 **[Ren] You have no way to fight them.**

 **[Haru] I'm prepared to acquire any supplies we need.**

 **[Ren]** **You'd be as helpless as I was in the park.**

 **[Makoto] Ren is right.**

 **[Makoto] It would be better to hide him for now, until we have a solid plan.**

 **[Futaba] He can hide at LeBlanc again, like when we faked his death.**

 **[Makoto] They'll probably think to look there if they know Ren's alive.**

 **[Ann] Should we fake it again, then?**

 **[Haru] I can arrange transportation for you to Tokyo tonight.**

 **[Haru] I'll have a private residence prepared to house you.**

 **[Ryuji] You can afford all that on the spot?**

 **[Haru] Yes.**

 **[Ryuji] Oh. OK then.**

 **[Makoto] Ren, you and Morgana should just play along for now.**

 **[Makoto] Come up with a story for your parents and we'll regroup here after you arrive.**

 **[Ren] About that.**

 **[Ren] I already told them no.**

 **[Ren] I'm on the run.**

 **...**

 **[Makoto] Well, all the more reason to get you out of Kuoh Town I suppose.**

 **[Ren] They also have Morgana.**

 **[Haru] They have Mona-chan!?**

 **[Futaba] How dare they!?**

 **[Ren] They think he's just a cat so he won't be hurt.**

 **[Ren] They probably want to use him to lure me back.**

 **[Ren] Either way, I'm not leaving without him.**

 **[Ren] And it's too dangerous for you all to come here.**

 **[Makoto] Ren, you've put yourself in a dangerous position.**

 **[Ren] Sorry Queen, but I can't take your advice this time. You guys stay put.**

 **[Ren] There must be devil activity in Tokyo too. Try to hunt down some leads on them.**

 **[Ren] Learn what you can about devils so we can put a plan of action together.**

 **[Ren] I** **f one of them tries to erase your memories just pretend it worked and move on. You should all be able to resist it.**

 **[Ryuji] Dude, this sucks.**

 **[Futaba] Well now that I know what to look for I will definitely find them online.**

 **[Haru] I imagine such fiends will have connections in the business world as well.**

 **[Yusuke] And the art world, of course.**

 **[Ann] Sure, Yusuke. Let me help you look into it, though.**

 **[Ann] You're not very subtle.**

 **[Ryuji] And your acting is?**

 **[Ryuji] You'd better let me come along too.**

 **[Ann] Excuse me?!**

 **[Private Chat]**

 **[Makoto] I don't like this, Ren.**

 **[Makoto] Giving us an assignment might distract the others from the danger you're in, but not me.**

 **[Ren] I know. Just keep everyone organized and safe over there.**

 **[Ren] I'll learn what I can and get Morgana back.**

 **[Makoto] Fine. But let us know the moment you need help.**

 **[Makoto] I won't forgive you if you try to do this on your own.**

 **[Ren] I'm never on my own.**

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Contracts?"

"That's right," Rias confirms.

It feels weird for Issei to learn more about devils without Ren around. The two had never met before today, but they still share the same strange new circumstances and the same killer. It somehow feels wrong to continue on without the older boy here as well. Rias insists this will be a good way to get Issei's mind off all the revelations of the day, though, so he complies.

"In the old days humans learned how to craft magic circles to summon devils, then bartered souls and service in exchange for power."

"This sounds like something else Amamiya-senpai would object to," Issei can't help but notice. The nerves in the boy's voice are apparent to his master, who gently shakes her head.

"Those times are long past," Rias assures her servant. "Humans figuring out their own magic circles was too complicated. We've found it's much more efficient in modern times to just advertise and make house calls. There are a lot more customers this way, and we can sell our services for money and goods instead of souls. When a human's desire is granted we seal the transaction with a pact to ensure they keep using our house and become a steady source of revenue."

"Oh? I guess that makes sense," Issei mumbles. The boy isn't actually sure it makes sense, but he isn't ready to question the point. Not like...

"Wait, _does_ it make sense?"

Rias blinks, and Issei can feel his face flush. The words just popped out!

 _'Idiot! Do you want to end up like him!?'_

"I just mean, uh, why didn't they sell their work for money back then, too? Uh, if you don't really need souls?" the boy flusters out an explanation.

"There was no global economy back in those days," Rias explains with an indulgent smile. "There also wasn't much wealth to gain from the few magicians or zealots who figured out how to summon us. The old devils couldn't easily tie their Underworld wealth to the human world's markets either, so money wasn't as valuable at the time. These days, money and influence on Earth is just as useful to us in the Underworld as it is here, so it raises our status there as well."

Issei nods along, able to grasp the basic idea if not the full scope of his master's words.

"The devils under the leadership of the Old Satans were also far more driven by a spiteful agenda to corrupt and harm humans just for the sake of it, so taking souls and power was a means to that end."

The reincarnated devil feels a chill run down his spine, but Rias simply pats him on the shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"Don't worry, Issei. It took a civil war, but the Old Satan Faction was defeated and we've had new leaders in charge for ages now, ones who don't want to repeat the horrors of the Great War. Modern devils aren't the monsters you hear about in stories anymore."

 _'The ones Amamiya-senpai probably still thinks you are,'_ Issei realizes, though not until after he finishes gushing internally about how Rias is touching him. _'Maybe you should have led with that, but I guess he wouldn't trust your word either way.'_

Issei is confused. The boy isn't sure whether he's supposed to feel like an idiot for not questioning his new master as much as his upperclassman is, or like a genius for not getting himself branded an outlaw right off the bat. Whether it's foolish or not, though, the boy does trust Rias. Issei has a gut instinct about the girl he can't ignore, and it totally has nothing to do with her cup size.

Definitely not.

"So, the devil work you want me to do is making a pact?" the reassured teen asks. "Am I ready for something like that?"

 _'It's not like I can use magic or anything yet, not like... argh! I am **not** going to develop an inferiority complex over this! I refuse!' _Issei thinks. The teen slaps the sides of his face and shakes his head vigorously. _'I'm the one Rias-senpai wanted to take in! I have an awesome Sacred Gear, whatever it is! I'll be fine!'_

Issei chooses to ignore the fact that he failed to activate his Sacred Gear not long ago. Thankfully, Rias seems to take the boy's flailing as a means of hyping himself up, so she helpfully ignores the outburst.

"Not yet, Issei," Rias corrects her servant. "Let's start with something simple. First, give me your left hand."

The boy holds out his palm, and a single flick of the redhead's finger is all it takes for a red pattern of curved lines to appear on it. The symbol glows intensely for a few moments before it fades.

"This is a seal. It's proof you are a member of the House of Gremory, so no one will mistake you for a stray again."

Issei gulps at the reminder, even as he watches the pattern fade away.

"Do you think the fallen angel who hurt me yesterday will attack Amamiya-senpai?"

The boy knows his master doesn't want to talk about Ren, but he can't help but ask. The other new devil is basically in the same situation Issei was last night, except Ren is genuinely a stray.

"Yuuto is keeping watch for any fallen angels tonight," Rias assures her loyal servant. "You don't need to worry about them."

The redhead leads the brunet to a table in the room where several stacks of documents sit. This isn't the same room where Ren made his stand against Rias and her other servants, so the papers haven't been knocked all over the floor like most of the furniture and decorations back there were.

"Normally we'd have some familiars or messenger demons handle the distribution of our flyers," the redhead explains. "But since they're occupied, why don't you take care of it and get a sense for the work that goes into making our contracts possible?"

"Familiars?" Issei asks. The boy would usually just go along silently with whatever Rias told him, but now he feels emboldened by his master's positive responses to questions.

"You saw them before," Rias explains. "The creatures we summoned. Animals and monsters bound to us as our personal servants."

 _'The ones you sent to help find Amamiya-senpai,'_ Issei recalls. Rias doesn't mention the other boy when she explains the familiars, probably in a futile attempt to keep Issei's mind off of him again.

Issei stares at the stacks of flyers, each one identical to the sheet he was given right before his ill-fated date with Yuuma.

"Wait, the girl who gave me my flyer wasn't a creature," Issei recalls. The unashamed pervert has a great memory for cute girls, after all, and the brown-haired beauty in the magenta outfit who handed out those flyers definitely falls into that category. "Is she another devil I haven't met yet?"

"No, she's the same familiar of mine you saw in the woods before," Rias corrects with a gentle shake of her head. "Her kind has the ability to shape-shift into a humanoid form, which is very useful to me."

Issei stares at his smiling master for a few awkward seconds.

 _'That little puff ball can turn into a babe like that?!'_ the teenage boy thinks at the speed of male hormones. _'If I also get a familiar can I get the same kind!?'_

Issei shakes his head vigorously to dispel the tantalizing image in his head, but promises himself to ask more about the subject later.

"Wait, so you just want me to go door-to-door and put these in mail slots?" Issei realizes.

"Exactly," the girl confirms. "It's not something you'll have to keep doing, but it's important to appreciate how the system works."

Issei feels like he's being fed a line since he can't imagine the elegant redhead before him ever doing this job herself, but Rias's smile makes being played totally worth it.

"I guess I'm really a servant for life now, huh?" Issei grumbles. Working with so many babes is definitely a plus, but being their manservant isn't nearly the same as being the head of a harem like he's always dreamed of.

"Maybe not for life," Rias says, drawing Issei's curious attention back to her mysterious grin. The boy's master takes a seat on a couch near the flyers and leans to the side suggestively. "You're starting out as a low-class devil, yes, but if you work hard you could be promoted."

"Promoted?" Issei asks, his eyes wide with hope.

"Yes," Rias nods. "You'll always be my servant, but if your power and deeds are acknowledged you may rise high enough to have servants of your own one day."

Issei's head explodes.

"S-s-s-s-s-servants!?" the boy reels. After the daydream about familiars just seconds ago, this push is too much to resist. Issei's mind flashes through image after image of sexy devil ladies waiting on him hand and foot. The boy leans toward Rias, his eyes ablaze with passion. "I could have my own?!"

"That's right," Rias says in an even tone, unfazed by the outburst.

"And they could all be beautiful girls with amazing breasts?!"

"If you want."

"And they'd have to do whatever I say?!"

"Of course."

"You understand what I'm getting at, right?!"

Issei leans back again and grips the back of his head with both hands, a huge smile on his face.

 _'Harem harem harem harem harem harem harem harem...'_

"You can do whatever you like with your own servants," Rias says with a smile, apparently happy to see Issei so motivated.

 _'Yes. Anything. So many girls. So many different possibilities. So much... wait, why does one of them look so angry? Why is she picking up an axe? What is she chopping- OH CRAP!'_

Issei blinks and he's back in reality, staring up at the ceiling with a blank face. Rias tilts her head a little on the couch, curiosity in her eyes.

"That's not really true, though," Issei mutters while his hands fall back to his sides. The boy sends his master a solemn look. "Servants are still people. If we force them to do whatever we want, then... we _would_ be as bad as the old devils, wouldn't we? Amamiya-senpai would be right to run."

Rias makes a sad face and her body shifts to stand up before the boy.

"Oh, Issei," Rias says with care. The girl's right hand comes up to cup her servant's cheek, much to his surprise. "Don't let what Ren said get to you. He's an intelligent man, but very short-sighted. Being your master doesn't just mean I have authority over you, it also means I'm responsible for your well-being. You're a part of the House of Gremory now, and if you ever have servants of your own I'll expect you to treat them properly as precious family members, just as I see you."

Issei's face runs hot once more as he is bathed in Rias's sincerity.

"Ren is precious to me as well, and I won't let his foolhardiness get himself hurt. It may take some tough love, but we will set him straight. Everyone lives with responsibilities to others, and that's true whether you're a human or a devil. Ren needs to accept his responsibility to me is a part of his life now."

Issei can see the sorrow in Rias's beautiful blue eyes. The redhead's face is marred with worry, worry the servant in front of her might take the same self-destructive path another did earlier this night. The young man's face tightens with determination, and in a fit of boldness brought on by Rias's close proximity he takes the hand on his cheek in both of his and grasps it between the two of them.

"Don't worry, Rias-senpai!" Issei loudly declares to the woman's surprised face. "I don't know Amamiya-senpai's circumstances, but when I was dying I know my last thoughts were about you! I did summon you, and I know you saved my life, so I want to pay you back! I might not be as smart as Amamiya-senpai, or as strong, or as handsome, or as cool, or as..."

 _'Damn it! I said no inferiority complex!'_

"... what I mean is, I'm going to be the best servant you'll ever have! I promise!"

Rias looks back into Issei's eyes for several heavy seconds, then her face softens into a smile of genuine gratitude.

"Thank you, Issei."

The boy's heart nearly leaps from his chest.

"N-no problem, senpai," Issei stammers. All previous confidence melts away due to how cute the girl looks.

"While you're a part of the occult research club I'd like you to call me by my title, as the others do," Rias responds as she takes her hand back and returns to her seat on the couch.

"Oh, so... no problem, President?" the flustered boy tries again.

"Perfect," Rias nods. "Well, if you're going to be my best servant then you should get to work."

"Right!" Issei declares. The devil's previous determination returns and he raises a clenched fist up in front of himself. "The first thing I'll do is...!"

Issei pauses, then slowly turns his eyes to the right. Several stacks of flyers continue to wait on the nearby table.

"Go... deliver... your mail."

Rias smiles and nods, but Issei is certain he can feel the moment when all the passion physically drains out of his body.

 _'Well, I guess I have to start somewhere.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Come, Lucifer!"

Blue fire explodes in Joker's vision as pure power flares out from the mask on his face. The bright energy rises and swirls around in the air behind the young devil, who focuses to maintain the familiar image in his head. A vague shape begins to make its presence felt behind the boy, the shadow of a massive body framed by six pointed wings...

Then it explodes.

Joker is left surrounded by a storm of blue-white cinders which drift lazily to the ground around him and vanish without a trace. A red glove plants itself on a nearby tree trunk to support its owner's weight, and Joker takes several deep breaths beneath the clear starry sky while he waits a few seconds for a spell of dizziness to abate.

 _'That was tiring, b_ _ut not exhausting._ _'_ the thief realizes. Joker's white mask has returned to normal, and he steps away from the tree to begin to skulk out of the park. The stray devil intends to be long gone before his little show draws any unwanted attention. _'Still, I'd better stick to recreating weaker Personas until I get a handle on this.'_

It's difficult to figure everything out without Mona around to bounce ideas off of, but Joker is confident he has a good idea about how he managed to pull off his escape from the occult research club. A few tests, like the last failed attempt to conjure a false Lucifer Persona, have cemented several observations in the boy's mind. The key to the puzzle is the small collection of knowledge about devil magic Akeno drip-fed to Joker on the the previous night's walk home.

 _"... in the case of devils, our magic is fueled by our demonic power. There are some spells common enough to be taught in a standard way, but the key to devil magic isn't in any special formulas, it's imagination."_

 _"So we can do anything we can think of?" Ren asks, gobsmacked by the absolute power described to him._

 _"Not at all," Akeno answers with a giggle she somehow still manages to make seem elegant. "Magic is still a system, and the system needs to make sense in order to work. Picture lightning striking the ground all you want, but unless you can properly imagine how to make the lightning work the way you need it to then you'll just waste your power."_

 _"Now it sounds almost too complicated to be useful."_

 _"All magic is complicated," Akeno says with amusement. "No matter the school of magic you learn, almost all magic is cast using magic circles that direct the flow of a supernatural power source in specific ways to create specific spells. Instead of designing circles to create spells with formulaic patterns like other schools, though, d_ _evils are unique. We store individual images of our imagination inside circles and then use the circles to add them all together into a functioning spell. This lets us build a working spell over time, out of pieces that would be too hard to picture all at once in the moment. Devils who specialize in magic spend a great amount of time perfecting their mental images and making their circles more efficient."_

 _"I take it you won't be teaching me any spells tonight, then?"_

 _Akeno shakes her head, but with an indulgent smile._

 _"Alright," Ren concedes with a grin of his own. "So what's this demonic power you mentioned?"  
_

 _"The supernatural energy of devils," the girl is happy to explain. "We all produce it and use it to accomplish superhuman feats."_

 _"Other than magic, you mean? Like my heightened senses or my increased strength?"_

 _"Yes. Your devil body is naturally more powerful than your human one was, but your demonic power will allow you to grow even stronger than your new physical limits would normally allow if you build it up."_

 _"Can I focus it into my arms to lift heavier stuff?"_

 _"No. Demonic power can't be focused like that, it simply raises your power naturally the more you have."_

 _"Are there any other cool tricks I can do now?" Ren wonders._

 _"Why don't we save a few surprises for later?" the brunette responds._

 _"You're a tough customer, Himejima," Ren says with a shake of his head. "So I guess our demonic power limits how much magic we can do, then?"_

 _"Yes, and not just magic," Akeno confirms. "No matter what you want to specialize in as a devil, your demonic power will determine the limit of your abilities."_

That is what the conversation boils down to, at least after Joker mentally edits out all the non-relevant points and conversational tangents the two teenagers talked about while they walked together. The information didn't let Joker experiment much on his own before, but it does give him some answers now. The thief puts his thoughts in order while he exits the park he was in and ducks down a Kuoh Town alleyway to continue on his way.

 _'Devils can't just work unlimited miracles with their magic because they need to be able to imagine something in order to make it happen. It's probably easier for the natural-born ones who never have to develop common sense about what's possible and what's impossible, but it's still limited by what they can understand.'_

Joker, however, has a unique perspective.

 _'My Personas are a part of me. A part of my mind and soul. I can imagine every single aspect of them without even thinking about it. I'm not summoning my old Personas at all, just creating brand new copies of them from demonic power.'_

Imagination is the key, but experience fuels imagination.

 _'That's why a copy of Arsene came out so easily, and why it attacked Yuuto just because of a stray thought.'_

Joker held his thoughts in check after Arsene's first Eiha was launched in the club room. The thief forced the duplicate to only use its physical abilities during the rest of the scuffle with the occult research club since he didn't want to actually hurt Yuuto or Koneko.

This unique perspective of Joker's is not limited just to Personas, though. Changing into his thief clothes; hiding with barely any cover; the Third Eye; Joker experienced all these and more throughout his year-long adventure in the Metaverse, and now that he can tap into his demonic power at will he can recreate them all just by imagining how they used to happen.

The possibilities at hand are immense, and Joker's current situation requires him to take every advantage he can grasp. There's no way to know what kind of measures Rias will take to keep her wayward servant contained should she get a hold of him again.

 _'There's a limit, though. Everything supernatural I can do now uses up my demonic power,'_ Joker reminds himself. _'I can probably imagine Personas strong enough to go up against Rias, but if I don't have enough energy on my own to make them as powerful as I remember them being then the summoning fails.'_

Joker doesn't know what determines a reincarnated devil's level of demonic power when they are reborn. Their physical fitness as a human? Mental strength? An inherent quality of the soul? A combination of the three? Something else entirely? Whatever the answer, Joker clearly has enough power to make some Persona imitations work but not his strongest ones.

 _'If I leave myself winded like I did with failing to create a Lucifer copy just now, but in the middle of a fight, it could be the end.'_

It will be safer to stick to weaker Personas as inspirations to copy until the phantom thief can learn his new limits.

This theory of what these new Personas really are may also explain why Joker feels no change in his physical capabilities when he brings out an imagined Persona, despite his original Personas doing so in the past. The reincarnated devil's demonic power is already augmenting his body as much as it can, according to Himejima, so just imagining more strength or speed makes no difference. Perhaps temporary boosts like some of his Persona's skills can cause would still be effective, though.

 _'This also means,'_ Joker realizes as a bead of sweat slips down the side of his forehead. _'Using the Third Eye and my enhanced stealth to avoid pursuers is constantly draining me. I'll have to ration them from here and hope I recover power faster than I need to use it.'_

Going without a hidden scent is dangerous as long as Koneko is on the hunt, but Joker has no choice. If the reincarnated devil runs out of power completely then it will be game over in no time. Joker stays on the move, intent on learning more about his perilous situation before the new day comes.

But first, one quick stop to balance the odds. No self-respecting thief should be without the tools of the trade.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Issei is amazed. After biking across half the town to deliver flyers, the boy expected to be way more exhausted than he is. Issei still gasps for breath while he walks up the stairs to the club room, and his leg muscles still burn in protest, but he thought he'd be completely wiped out. Instead, the errand boy is just tired.

 _'Guess this is another part of being a devil,'_ the former human muses.

Speaking of being a devil, Issei realizes he can hear voices coming from the club room before he even makes it to the top of the stairs. The words are faint, but audible.

"And the rest of the school?" asks Rias's voice.

"I have my familiars on patrol, Miss President," answers Akeno's voice. "I've placed alarm spells on all the entrances as well. Do you expect Ren to return tonight?"

"Probably not," Rias admits. "But if he loses control of his demonic power before we can find him then he might return in the days to come, seeking my life in his madness. It's best to prepare now, just in case."

Issei fights the urge to gulp, certain the two he is inadvertently spying on would notice it with their own superhuman ears if he did.

 _'The president tried to reassure me, but she still has to plan for the worst-case scenario, huh?'_

Issei puts the thought aside and makes his way to the club room door.

"I'm back, President!" the boy announces as he enters. Rias and Akeno both greet their fellow devil with warm smiles. The combined attention of both of Kuoh Academy's Two Great Ladies is enough to make Issei's heart soar, circumstances be damned.

"I'm glad you're back, Issei," Rias says while she crosses her arms. "I have need of you."

"How can I help?" Issei wonders as he bounds up to the pair in excitement.

"There's a small scheduling problem we need to sort out," Akeno informs the boy.

"Before you were hurt yesterday, I was going to have Yuuto and Koneko keep watch over you while you adjusted to your reincarnation," Rias explains. "After I decided to bring you into the fold early instead, I let them accept contract requests again."

Issei notices how his master continues to leave Ren out of her explanation. One of the two other servants was probably assigned to watch over the upperclassman, not both to Issei alone.

"Unfortunately," Akeno continues. "Since they're both unavailable, we have to handle the requests ourselves to avoid losing the pacts."

"Can I trust you to handle one of Koneko's contracts for us, Issei?" Rias requests. "Akeno and I can take the rest."

 _'This is it!'_ Issei realizes. _'My big chance! I'll show the president I can be the best servant she's got, secure a ton of pacts, and get promoted!'_

It doesn't take more than a few minutes for Rias to give Issei the gist of what's expected of him. It turns out most people summon devils for help with mundane stuff these days, since the Underworld denizens are both reliable and confidential. Requests requiring genuine supernatural power tend to get filtered out or handled only by the high or mid-class devils in the family. Rias gives the boy some general guidelines on how to please the clients of low-class contracts.

A few steps away, the vice-president begins to chant softly under her breath some distance from the pair. Issei watches Akeno as she begins to glow, then sees a huge circle filled with glowing red patterns appear out around the girl on the floor. The glyph rapidly expands to fill the vice-president's side of the room. The use of power illuminates Akeno in a sharp red hue... and also causes the lady's clothes, hair and chest to bounce around quite hypnotically.

"We call this a transportation circle," Rias tells her servant. The voice breaks Issei out of his distracted stupor. "Use this and it will teleport you to the location of the contract request. Do your best!"

"Right!" Issei yells before he rushes into the center of the red lights once Akeno vacates it. "I'll make you proud!"

The reincarnated devil stands ready, arms outstretched, to be whisked away by the devil magic.

 _'This is it,'_ Issei thinks. _'My first contract. The start of my path to becoming a harem king!'_

A rush of power sweeps over the boy and the circle disappears in a flash of brilliant white light.

 _'Huh. I thought it would feel stranger.'_

Issei opens his eyes to find, instead of an expectant customer, Rias and Akeno. The pair look at the boy with barely-contained smiles.

"Uh... what happened?"

"Oh my," Akeno laughs softly. "How unexpected."

"Sorry Issei," Rias consoles her servant despite her own veiled amusement. "It looks like you don't have enough demonic power to activate a transportation circle yet."

Issei barely manages to restrain himself from his first instinctive response, which is to collapse to his knees and weep. Images of Ren changing clothes and summoning crazy demons in explosions of power to fight off Yuuto and Koneko simultaneously begin to play across the boy's mind. In Issei's head the older student's displays of power start to become far more exaggerated than the real thing actually was.

 _'No... inferiority... complex!'_

"So what now?" Issei forces out through a strained expression.

"Don't worry," Rias assures her servant. "There's another way."

Based on Akeno's soft chuckles, Issei suspects he isn't going to like option number two.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Morgana sniffs the air alongside Koneko, still held firmly in her arms. The cat-like being has never had to use his feline senses so much before, most of his thief work being done in the Metaverse. If the devils are going to use superior senses to hunt down Morgana's best friend, though, then he will use any trick available to keep up with them.

 _'Ren was here,'_ Morgana confirms. Whether or not the being is proficient with his feline nose, Ren's is a presence he is always around. The teen's recent switch to a devil body did change the core of his scent, but not the ones always covering him. There is still no one else Morgana would have an easier time tracking.

Unfortunately, Koneko can smell Ren as well.

The white-haired devil strolls slowly around the park, away from where the scent is strongest. Whatever trick Ren used to hide his smell, Morgana realizes, the teen let it go here for a while then put it back up. There's no trace of Ren leaving.

 _'This means we're close. I need to distract her if she picks up the trail.'_

How Morgana will achieve this goal has yet to be determined.

 _'Still, Koneko's scent, its similar but different than a human's. The same way Ren's changed.'_

Morgana wants to guess the girl just smells like a devil, and with the similarity to Ren and the others she no doubt does. To be honest, though, Koneko also smells a little bit like the thief himself right now. Like a cat.

It's weird. Very pleasant, actually, but still weird.

 _'Might explain her sense of smell, though. Are there cat devils as well as normal devils?'_

Would such a thing explain why Koneko's pets are so, for lack of a better term, heavenly? The secret to those supremely-skilled hands is a mystery worth solving, for sure.

 _'At least now I understand why the student council president always made me so nervous,'_ Morgana reflects. _'It wasn't just because she pestered Ren so much._ _Sona must have smelled off to me, and I just wasn't paying attention to it.'_

Not anymore. In this new battle against the supernatural world, Morgana will utilize every tool at his disposal, feline or no.

"How?"

Koneko's voice draws Morgana back to the situation at hand. Two blue eyes blink and take in the face of their captor's own hazel gaze. Koneko looks right down at Morgana, her expression unreadable.

"H-how what?" Morgana ventures to ask.

The devil still shows no recognition of the cat's true words. Koneko does question the feline further, though.

"You're strange. What are you? Who is senpai?"

If it was physically possible for Morgana to sweat, he'd be drenched right now.

"I'm Morgana," comes the answer, a vain attempt to satisfy Koneko's blatant curiosity and dispel the awkwardness in the air. "And Ren's my best friend."

There is no reaction, but then again...

 _'Koneko barely reacts to anything in the first place,'_ Morgana realizes. _'Could it be-'_

The thought is interrupted when the girl in question bends down and places Morgana on the grassy earth.

"Take me to Amamiya-senpai," Koneko instructs in her monotone voice.

Morgana looks up at those hazel eyes and blinks.

"C-can you understand me?"

Koneko keeps watching the cat for a moment, then her brow furrows slightly.

"Senpai is in trouble. Show me where he would go," she repeats the command.

 _'I guess not,'_ Morgana reasons. The girl continues to look at the undercover thief expectantly. _'Now is my chance to distract her, at least.'_

Morgana honestly has no idea where Ren may have gone. Would the boy go home to check on his parents? Maybe, but Rias already sent someone to watch there. Ren has made a couple of notable social connections across Kuoh Town in his time back, though, such as the local restaurant owner from the day he was killed. Any of those people might offer the boy a place to hide out if he came up with a believable enough story for them.

Morgana picks Anzai the restaurant owner, the newest and therefore least likely contact for Ren to have gone to for shelter, then turns and leads Koneko out of the park. The white-haired devil follows the cat wordlessly, though her nose can still be heard whenever she samples the air for her prey as they move. Morgana hopes leading Koneko to someone Ren knows will make her believe he really is trying to help. This way the devil might keep trusting her hostage as a source of information.

Morgana might also earn a few more soothing pets as well.

 _'Wherever you are, Ren, keep your eyes open.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Yeah, I'll just crash here for the night after our study session. His parents are cool with it," Ren says into his phone. "I'll see you after school tomorrow."

If popular media is to be believed, lying to your parents is a normal part of modern adolescence. Ren could do without it. Last year the teen spent several months failing to convince people he didn't actually assault a man. Ren's parents were among the only ones who actually believed their son's side of the story, and they thankfully managed to convince Sojiro of the truth before the cafe owner took him in on probation. If Sojiro's impression of Ren hadn't been grounded in the truth, in the knowledge that Ren wasn't actually a loose cannon delinquent but just a kid who got in over his head trying to do right, then the probation period may have ended when the Metaverse caused the boy to be late for his first day of school. Lying to the older Amamiyas now seems like a poor way to pay them back for their faith.

 _'Still, better to be deceived than brainwashed.'_

"Love you too," Ren responds to his mother, then ends the call.

In an instant, Ren Amamiya becomes Joker once more.

Before the young man stands his family's home in the suburbs of Kuoh Town, a nondescript place on an unassuming street corner. If Joker wasn't being hunted he could easily assume nothing is out of the ordinary here. Unfortunately, the place is too obvious a location for the stray devil to go for it to not be watched.

Joker expects to have to dodge Yuuto or Koneko again to get inside his room, perhaps even Akeno. The redhead who claims to be Joker's master could certainly come by and take his parents hostage as a means to force him back into the open, but somehow it doesn't feel likely. Ren specifically asked Rias to keep his family out of whatever business she had dragged him into from beyond the grave, back before the full explanation came out, and she doesn't strike him as the type to go back on such a promise. Joker expects a watch to be placed on his home, yes, but not Rias herself.

The reincarnated boy certainly didn't expect a small bat-like creature who emanates Rias's aura to be the one on stakeout, though.

A careful sweep with the Third Eye from a safe distance reveals the presence of Rias's watchdog almost immediately. For a moment Joker thinks he's wrong, that the young noblewoman did come to collect him personally, but quickly realizes his mistake. The small thing hidden in a tree across from the Amamiya home has a shadow of Rias's menacing aura around it when observed through Joker's extrasensory perception, but it also possesses a unique presence all its own.

 _'Whatever it is, it's obviously connected to Rias,'_ Joker deduces as he creeps up behind the sentry, careful to maintain his enhanced stealth. _'This means there could be more of these things littered all over town. So much for not overusing the Third Eye.'_

This is the first such creature Joker has spotted, at least, so the boy does ultimately believe it unlikely Rias has enough of them to cover all of Kuoh Town. If the girl does have an army of spies but just hasn't deployed them yet, then Joker's time as a stray may be short-lived. One problem at a time, though.

A flash of blue quickly gives form to a young, pale green-skinned maiden in an orange silk gown. The recreation of Silky, the Persona of a fairy legend of England and Scotland, floats forward in the air toward the tree. The false Persona's headscarf-covered long green hair flows behind her as she reaches her delicate hands toward Rias's spy.

The bat-winged thing notices Joker's use of demonic power so close, but it is already too late. With a silent smile on her face, Joker's energy flows through Silky and the devil's imagination transforms the demonic power into a copy of one of the unique skills used by Shadows and Personas. Rias's spy is bathed in light as a rippling pool of shallow, pure water appears in Silky's cupped hands and emits a strong glow. The creature starts to looks back just as a wave of crystal clear bubbles rise up from the water and blow forward to engulf its form.

The spy shudders, droops, then falls out of the tree. Joker steps forward to catch the little spherical being before it hits the ground, and Silky vanishes in another flash of blue. The black and pink being breathes softly, deep asleep. The teen places the strange creature down at the base of the tree, hidden behind a bush, and then takes off across the street. Joker's superhuman hearing can easily keep track of the soft breaths of the tiny monster as it sleeps off the duplicated effect of Silky's Dormina skill.

 _'No telling how long this will keep it asleep,'_ Joker reminds himself as he uses his newfound strength to leap straight to a second-story window. _'I have to be quick.'_

Fortunately, it is well within the capability of the Phantom Thieves' leader to silently loot his own room with efficiency. By the time Rias's spy begins to blink its eyes open again, Joker has already disappeared into the night.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"Well this sucks," Issei complains to himself. The boy walks his bike down an empty, starlit street; the same bike he'd had to ride to the contract requester's home like a normal human because he's too weak to use a simple (he assumes) transportation circle like a respectable devil. On top of that embarrassment, Issei didn't even manage to secure a pact!

 _'I just wasted time geeking out back there,'_ the teen laments. Issei didn't have any 'devil tricks' the otaku who tried to summon Koneko could photograph for his collection, so the two ended up in an hour-long discussion about a classic battle manga and anime series they share a love for. _'Way to prove yourself, Issei. 'Best servant' my a-'_

A chill runs down the new devil's spine, sharp enough to freeze him in his tracks. The street previously lit by sparse lamp posts and the stars of the clear night sky is suddenly awash with a purple tinge, and Issei can feel a familiar and unsettling sensation begin to tingle in the back of his mind.

 _'This feeling. It's the same one I got from that man yesterday,'_ the boy recalls. _'The one who was really a-'_

"How unusual."

A woman's voice draws Issei's attention behind him, where a figure out of one of his many fantasies greets the young man. Back-lit by an impossibly large and unnaturally low image of a full moon is a tall woman. The stranger wears a maroon coat and skirt so thin, short, and tight they both leave nothing to the imagination. The perfect hourglass figure, long legs, generous cleavage, and mature beauty of the stranger are like something out of a dream. Issei feels genuine regret that he can't spare even a single moment to appreciate the sight, but a metaphorical siren blares a warning inside his head too loud to ignore.

"I haven't mistaken someone else for you," the woman continues in her ominously low tone. The stranger glares at Issei with two bright yellow eyes framed between two bangs of long, dark blue hair.

 _'This is really happening again!?'_ Issei can't help but complain. _'Fine, this will be my chance to prove myself and out-do Amamiya-senpai! I'll make up for the pact by taking her down!'_

"I, Kalawarner, was ordered to eliminate all traces of our contact with Issei Hyoudou, so how are you still alive?!" the woman demands as two black wings burst into existence on her back, just as Issei expected they would. This Kalawarner gives off the same vibe as the fallen one who stabbed the reincarnated devil last night.

 _'Alright, remember what the president said. Focus on something strong!'_ Issei reminds himself while the fallen angel raises her right hand in the air next to her. Memories of the recent geek-out session and the protagonist of the anime in question rush back to the teen, including his signature power-up move. _'I can do the Dragon Yell!'_

With an abrupt flash, Kalawarner's raised hand grips a yellow shaft of light with a spear head on each end.

"OK!" Issei declares, clenching his left fist. "Here I-"

"You were supposed to be killed already!" the fallen angel exclaims before her spear is pitched forward at superhuman speed.

Issei realizes his mistake at superhuman speed as well. Caught in the middle of pumping himself up instead of actually doing the Dragon Yell, the boy won't be able to dodge the approaching death sentence in time now. The devil is really about to die again!

Issei's eyes flinch shut and he prepares to experience the excruciating pain of a spear in his body for the third night in a row. A loud crack splits the air in front of the boy, followed by silence and a noticeable lack of agony. Issei's right eye peeks open with some hesitation and catches sight of the back of a familiar school uniform.

"Kiba!?" Issei half asks, half-cries in relief. Owing something to the damn handsome sucks a little, but not nearly as much as being skewered would.

"Why are you interfering?" the blue-haired fallen angel demands in an even monotone voice from where she stands at the other end of the street. A new spear zaps into existence in the woman's hand, the one she threw a moment ago nowhere to be seen.

"The better question is, why are you attacking him?" Yuuto answers as he stands up from a crouch. The boy's wings are out, probably because he flew here, and Issei watches as he retracts them and shifts into a defensive stance with his blade. The weapon looks European to Issei, rather than Japanese. "Hyoudou, please open your left hand."

Issei does so, surprised to see the mark Rias placed there glow brightly all of a sudden. The seal has been invisible ever since the devil first branded her servant.

"The Gremory family crest?!" Kalawarner gasps, her clear surprise the strongest form of emotion she has yet shown.

"That's right," Yuuto confirms. The swordsman flashes a palm the woman's way as well, probably to show off his own matching mark. "This is twice now a fallen angel has attacked a servant of the Gremory household in our own territory. I suggest you pass on a warning to any of your fellows in Kuoh Town: cross my master like this again and we will not hesitate to strike back. You have had plenty of warning."

Kalawarner bites her lip, but maintains an otherwise emotionless facade. The woman looks like she wants to say something, but hesitates to do so among present company.

"Other members of my master's peerage are out tonight as well. Do mind yourself," Yuuto adds.

"I will pass on your advice," Kalawarner finally submits, her expression only slightly soured by the turn of events.

Without another word the deadly beauty turns and flies off. A shower of black feathers marks the spot in the air where the fallen angel disappears, along with the unnatural distortion of the night sky she created. The restored sight of the normal stars and moon allows Issei to breath a sigh of relief.

"It's a good thing the president had me keep an eye out," Yuuto says nonchalantly as he walks up to Issei, his sword gone from his hand. "You should head back to the club room and let her know what happened."

"Uh, right. Thanks," Issei mutters.

The boy is grateful for the save, but still galled by the thought of having to feel even more inferior to the Kuoh Academy prince than he did before. The brunet is spared any further awkward conversation by his blond comrade, who shoots up into the star-filled sky on bat-like wings and vanishes into the night.

Issei stays where he is for a minute while his adrenaline still pumps uncomfortably through his body. Once the fight-or-flight instinct finally dies down, the teen moves to retrieve his bicycle and starts to walk it back toward the academy. Unfortunately, Issei's mood is even lower than it was before after his latest failure.

"How am I supposed to prove myself to the president now?" the boy grumbles to himself after a few minutes.

"Do you need to?"

Issei stops again, frighteningly aware of how there was no warning instinct before he was snuck up on this time. The boy turns his head to the right and, sure enough, a figure is there. Leaning on the side of a building at the intersection of two streets, underneath an awning, is a man in a black coat wearing a white mask.

"Amamiya-senpai?" Issei asks, incredulous. How, the boy wonders, is the stray devil just hanging out on a street corner? Yuuto was just a block away a minute ago. Is an awning really enough to hide from an experienced devil's air patrol?

"Hyoudou," the upperclassman responds, as if exchanging a casual greeting.

Issei shakes his head, drops his bike and rushes to the other teen.

"What are you doing here?" the younger man demands. "You know they're hunting for you, right?"

"I saw the fallen angel's light show," Ren answers. Issei assumes the boy refers to the purple lights that surrounded the street when Kalawarner showed up. The same thing happened when Yuuma showed her true form and the man in the trench coat attacked, the boy recalls. It must be a fallen angel thing.

"Why did you come if you knew one of them was here?"

"I'd like to say it was in case someone needed help, but I saw Kiba was already on his way," Ren admits. "Really, I was hoping to get some answers."

"You wanted to talk to her!?"

"More like spy on. Right now I only have the devils' side of the story."

"But they killed you! And me! Both of us!" Issei argues in disbelief.

"I don't trust them either," Ren defends himself. "But I want to know if they have any different claims than the devils."

Ren turns his head and looks off in the direction Kalawarner flew before she vanished. There is a strange, focused look in the older teen's eyes. The look suggests Ren is observing something carefully. Issei glances back the same way but doesn't see anything of note, not even with his new perfect night vision.

"Look senpai," Issei says to get back on track. "I think you should come back with me."

"Why? So you can prove yourself by bringing home the stray?" Ren asks. There is no derision in the boy's voice, just curiosity.

"No!" Issei denies. "Because fallen angels are dangerous! You haven't been hit by their light spears as a devil yet, but it hurts way worse than when I was human! And besides that, the president says you'll be in all kinds of danger if you stay out on your own!"

In retrospect, Ren is correct; bringing the stray devil back to Rias is a sure-fire way for Issei to prove himself. The new devil honestly hadn't considered the angle, though, more concerned with his fellow victim's well-being.

Ren just looks down at Issei for a few uncomfortable seconds, then steps away from the wall.

"I guess you're not _all_ bad, Hyoudou," the older boy verbally backhands his school junior. "I get that you think staying with Rias is safer, but I'll choose freedom over safety. Don't worry about me."

"Not all? What's that supposed to mean?!" Issei snarls, then realizes Ren is leaving. The second-year student reaches out and grabs the other devil's arm tightly to halt his steps. "I'm serious, senpai! You're going to get yourself killed!"

For all the trouble and chaos Ren has added to this ridiculous change in Issei's life, the older boy is still someone who is going through the same experience as him. Issei can't help but desire to help the guy, and he doesn't know how other than to keep him alive for now and figure it out later.

Ren looks down at the grip on his forearm for two seconds. After that time is up, Issei finds himself ripped off the older boy by a much stronger hand than his own and pushed back. The physical rebuke isn't forceful enough to knock Issei down or hurt him, but the boy does stumble from surprise and land on his butt.

"I know how to take care of myself," Ren claims, who now towers above Issei. The masked teen might not look down on his underclassman in the metaphorical sense so much as he is literally, but Issei feels it all the same. The student in black turns again, his hands now in his pockets, and begins to walk away.

 _'Yeah, of course this is how it would go,'_ Issei thinks. _'Amamiya is obviously better than me.'_

Brown eyes look up and pierce the back of Ren's head.

 _'Except I already decided,'_ Issei reminds himself as he surges to his feet. _'I will **not** feel inferior to him!'_

"Senpai!" Issei yells with more conviction than he intended. "Whether you're safe or not, you're the one in the wrong here! You need to go back and apologize!"

Against all odds, Ren actually pauses in his retreat. The older boy keeps his back to the challenger for a while, the ambient sounds of Kuoh Town the only answer the younger man receives. The man in black doesn't even turn to look over his shoulder, but Issei can still feel a silent command to explain himself in the air.

"The president is putting on a smile for my sake, but she's clearly worried about you," the nervous devil continues. "She isn't afraid of losing a servant, or about her reputation or anything else, she's afraid you're going to be hurt because she didn't help you the right way. She's a good person."

Rias has to be a good person. The beautiful woman has saved Issei's life twice. There's no way she could be as bad as Ren makes it seem.

Issei doesn't think he could handle that.

"Maybe she is," Ren admits, breaking his silence. "But I don't know that for sure. I have questions to answer before I do anything else with her."

"That's just an excuse!" Issei fires back, his fists clenched. "The president said she didn't want to confuse me! I know I'm not as smart as you guys, but if it was my fault, I could have just left and waited until later. Then you and her could sit down and figure out how to answer your questions without causing all these problems for everyone. If even I can figure that out then so can you!"

Ren doesn't answer immediately, but the boy does deign to turn his head half-way back and eye Issei from under the right half of his mask. Whatever expression the other boy sees on Issei's face provokes a response, but Ren's tone turns cold when he speaks.

"You need to start giving my decision the same respect I gave your's, Hyoudou," the stray clips out.

"Stop acting too proud to apologize, damn it!" Issei curses. "Just come back!"

Issei really needs Ren to come back and agree that everything will be OK, because the doubt the boy has thrown into this new reality of his makes it really hard to keep his head straight. Issei couldn't even enjoy a harem fantasy earlier!

"Give it up, Hyoudou," Ren deadpans while he turns his body perpendicular to Issei. "I refuse to go back. Are you going to try to force me?"

This time, Issei doesn't droop at the reminder of the difference between him and his mysterious upperclassman. Instead, the wild-haired teen straightens up even more, steel in his spine.

"Maybe I can't," the young man admits. "The truth is, standing up for yourself like you did is pretty incredible. I was... I _am_ totally blown away by all this. Even if I didn't trust the president like you don't, I still doubt I would have even tried to resist."

Issei's brown eyes drift down as he speaks of his weakness, but lock back on to his opposite's grey ones when he continues.

"The truth is, what you're doing is amazing. I can't help but think you're the strongest guy I've ever met."

The young man is so caught up in the moment, Issei barely notices the tunnel vision he's developed on the young man in front of him. Everything else in the world seems to darken and fade away.

"But being amazing isn't the same as being right!"

Issei easily mistakes the faint roaring in his ears for the sound of blood rushing to his head, never noticing its distant bestial quality.

"Maybe you didn't wish to live when you were killed, but I did! And I'm going to pay the president back no matter what!"

The step backward Ren takes is barely noticed by the shouting teen as his left fist shoots up in front of him on instinct.

"Even if I have to become stronger than you to do it!"

The next few seconds are difficult for Issei to process. The term 'adrenaline rush' is far too benign to describe the intense sensation as pure _rocket fuel_ pumps through the new devil's veins. Green light explodes out from the boy with a sharp, warped sound as all the energy rushes through his body and focuses on his left arm. Something heavy forms on the back of Issei's hand, quickly followed by the sound of metallic scrapes as armor plates lock into place around it. Ren being blown off his feet and sent into the side of a metal fence is only barely noticeable through all the light and noise. Issei himself is too captivated to care about his upperclassman in this moment, the boy's mind consumed by an all-encompassing feeling of rightness.

When the green light dies down Issei can finally take a clear look at what has become of his limb. Red plates form a gauntlet around the forearm, covering the hand but leaving the fingers exposed. Six yellow spikes stick out along the sides of the armor in small decorative points of parallel pairs. On the back of the hand is a perfectly round green sphere, half-embedded in the strange material. The orb glows faintly still.

 _'This is mine,'_ Issei can't help but know instinctively. _'This is my power. My Sacred Gear.'_

Issei's eyes focus on the form of the masked teen across the way. Ren pulls himself back up to his feet with a grip on the fence he collided with, but a red welt on his cheek indicates how hard he must have hit the bars. Considering the toughness of devils, it must have been significant force indeed. Issei's power did that.

Motivated by the sight, Issei leaps forward. The raw energy inside the boy has tapered off a bit from when the Sacred Gear appeared, but he still feels twice as strong as he did before. A single bound is enough to close the distance between the two teens in the blink of an eye, and Issei's left hand snaps around Ren's forearm once more. This time the grip is significantly tighter, and the masked boy's attention snaps to his confident opponent after the contact.

"We're going to make this right, senpai," Issei boldly declares. "Everything is going to be fine. Trust me."

 _'Wait a minute,'_ Issei thinks with a curious expression. _'Now that I see it up close, that mask looks familiar.'_

Issei doesn't get a chance to think upon this new puzzle for long. Ren looks down at the renewed grip on his forearm for two seconds. After that time is up, Issei finds himself ripped off the older boy by a much stronger hand than his own and pushed back. The physical rebuke isn't forceful enough to knock Issei down or hurt him, but the boy does stumble from surprise and land on his butt.

It's all distressingly familiar.

One difference this time is the one-legged giant of a man who stands by Ren's side. The figure towers over both teens, its head encased in some sort of bronze helmet and its green-skinned body covered by a thick black apron and matching gloves. This creature is the one who threw Issei down this time, not his upperclassman himself.

"You're a lot stronger now," Ren remarks above the gobsmacked devil. The mask on Ren's face is alight with fire, just like it was throughout most of the skirmish inside the occult research club's room. The mask returns to normal after the summoned figure reaches down to pick up some heavy tools on the ground and then disappears.

The rush of Issei's new power filled the teenager with an incredible feeling of bravado, but now the illusion of strength is shattered. Ren has made it abundantly clear how unevenly matched the two still are, even if the older devil did have to put in some effort to throw his junior down this time.

Issei just remains seated on the ground, his mouth hung open.

"I suggest you do go back to Gremory," Ren offers, shocking Issei back to attention. "That must be the Sacred Gear she mentioned, and we don't know anyone else who can help you learn to control it safely yet."

The masked boy actually seems _pained_ at having to recommend his junior go back to Rias.

"Stay safe, and try to keep your eyes open," are Ren's last words before he turns and walks away, just like he did the first time.

Also just like the first time, Issei surges back to his feet.

"Don't die, senpai!" the defeated teen yells. "Please!"

Issei may be forced to concede victory to Ren tonight, but he won't go back on his promise to the woman who saved his life.

"You're not my enemy yet, Hyoudou," the stray devil says once his back is turned. "But be careful about trying to force what you want on others in the future."

In the next moment the older teen leaps up and over the steel fence, unnecessarily flamboyant somersault included, and vanishes into the park beyond without a sound. Issei just stares at the spot and breathes, his gauntlet-clad fist squeezed tight enough to hurt.

 _'Did I... really try to do the same thing I told the president would be as bad as what the old devils did?'_ Issei is forced to ask himself. _'But this is different! Amamiya's life is at stake!'_

"Hyoudou, are you alright?!"

Issei barely has time to catch his breath, let alone process his total defeat, before Yuuto swoops down from the sky next to him. The blond student has a worried look on his face and a sword in his hand again.

"I saw a strange light. Was it another..."

Yuuto trails off when Issei turns to show the other devil the red gauntlet attached to his left arm.

"Is that...?"

"Yeah," Issei confirms with a nod. "I need to talk to the president."

If Ren won't trust their master, then Issei will just have to prove her honesty. Ren is right that he shouldn't be forced to apologize, he should be convinced it's the right thing to do.

Rias won't let Issei down. The boy doesn't want to believe otherwise.

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **And that's chapter five.**

 **This chapter was actually delayed a fair amount by re-writes as well, not just the holidays. I wasn't happy with the first draft. In the end, once I was satisfied, I ended up with a chapter twice as long as the others and I had to cut it in half.**

 **So chapter six will be finished and posted one week from this release. See you then.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


	6. Hold Up

**Author's Notes**

 **Welcome back to** ** _Persona 5:_** ** _The Phantom Rebellion_** **.**

 **More world building happens this chapter, so I'll just say one more time as a disclaimer that the mechanics presented here for how both the DxD world and the Persona world work are not necessarily canon to either, but my interpretation of them for the sake of this story.**

 **I should also mention an update I made to the last chapter. The characters weren't coming across properly during Issei's confrontation with Ren, so the last scene was updated shortly after its release. If you read the last chapter within an hour or two after it was published, you may want to revisit it. The author's note at the top would have stated there was an update, so if you saw that then you read the current version.**

 **Let us begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Hold Up**

* * *

"Interesting."

Joker's Third Eye easily spots where the fallen angel who attacked Issei disappeared to. The winged being's teleportation lit up the boy's sixth sense like a beacon, and it is child's play to follow her aura in the night sky afterwards. Of all the secret headquarters Joker may have expected, though, a dilapidated old church was almost too obvious.

 _'I suppose Gremory did say most fallen angels want to serve their creator again, deep down,'_ Joker recalls. _'Just that they're just too twisted up by their own dark desires to do it properly.'_

A distressingly familiar description.

Joker puts his recollections of Palace owners aside and settles in to catch his breath on the outskirts of the church grounds. The boy's power wanes after so much hidden movement and use of the Third Eye, necessary as long as Yuuto and a bird with a similar aura to his are patrolling the skies, but it's not enough to feel depleted yet. Joker weighs the odds and decides a minute to catch his breath without having to maintain supernatural stealth will only increase his chances of successful surveillance later. The church is far enough out of the way for the devil to bet Koneko won't stumble upon his revealed scent any time soon.

The thief can't help but notice an instinctive desire to avoid this place, but it doesn't feel like his usual gut feelings. A side-effect of being a devil, the boy supposes.

Time to breathe may be beneficial to Joker's reserves of power, but his mind can't help but wander back to a few short minutes ago when he risked speaking to Issei on the street. The older teen had wanted to check up on his fellow victim and see what Rias had decided to do with the other boy after Joker's show of defiance. The stray didn't want the noble devil to take any of her frustrations out on an innocent, after all.

Given how hard Issei pleaded for Joker to believe Rias is a saint in devil's clothing, the girl probably can't be accused of mistreating him. Not physically, at least. Psychologically, however...

Joker grits his teeth at the memory of Issei fighting so hard to force him back into Rias's clutches against his will. Joker understands why the kid acted that way, and so he tries not to hold it against his fellow student. Being killed by Raynare had been hard enough on the experienced phantom thief, but at least she was a stranger to him at the time. Issei had been lethally betrayed by a girl he'd no doubt opened his heart to, and was totally unprepared to completely change his understanding of reality on top of that. If Issei feels the need to stay with the devils just so he can pull his mind back together, that's fine. To cling to Rias's promises of kindness and stability after such a traumatic experience is perfectly natural.

It's also perfectly manipulative, practically tailor-made to press psychological dependence on the younger reincarnated devil.

 _'Given how hard Issei has fallen into the girl's hands already, she's either a phenomenal actress or she really believes what she's doing is fine.'_

A terrifying thought either way, but since the girl is a literal spirit of evil made flesh Joker can't rule out her deceptive abilities. Issei may be devoted to Rias already simply because she is good at controlling people. In this light the younger student's demand to return to Rias is understandable, but it still upset Joker in the moment. Hopefully the warning given to be careful of forcing one's desires on others will be enough to get through to the desperate teen.

Joker has had plenty of time to consider his situation while on the run for the past several hours, though, and there's one thing he still can't wrap his head around. If Rias really is a master manipulator, why present herself the way she did? The explanation given after school was clearly scripted specifically for Issei, her intended recruit, while the unexpected extra servant was just pulled along for the ride. Hardly anything was said to specifically convince Joker himself to fall in line until he started to force out answers about stray devils.

Joker supposes Rias could have counted on sheer fear to keep him under control. The problem is, the redhead knows the boy is familiar with the extraordinary thanks to Lavenza, and she had interacted with him enough after his reincarnation to know he wasn't cowed and overwhelmed by the experience. An expert manipulator shouldn't have expected Joker to be as psychologically vulnerable as Issei. At the time, the girl seemed genuinely surprised either of the boys would even _want_ to defy her.

 _'I think my first impression may be right,'_ Joker admits to himself, even if he doesn't know how to feel about it. _'A spoiled princess who's used to getting everything she wants.'_

Ignorance can only be forgiven so far, though, before its consequences should be obvious to anyone who cares.

 _'Guess these are all just more things to look for answers to,'_ the stray considers as he rises from his hiding place. The black-clad devil breathes deeply to focus himself back on the mission and strolls up to the church building, his brief respite complete. _'I'll start right here.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Rias watches with a smile as Issei's left arm glows green and then reverts back to its natural form. The boy breathes a sigh of relief, happy to know he won't have an elaborate decoration attached to his limb all the time now. Akeno congratulates Issei on the accomplishment of awakening his power. The Queen is the only other peerage member present since Yuuto has already went back into the night skies after he escorted Issei here.

 _'But still,'_ Rias considers behind her smile. _'It looks like a common Twice Critical. There's no way that can be true.'_

Common is a relative term when it comes to the rare phenomenon of Sacred Gears, of course, but Twice Critical is a well-known example of a Sacred Gear with multiple copies in existence. The Sacred Gear was created from a dragon and possesses the ability to temporarily double its user's power. A huge boon for a normal human, certainly, but one that becomes only more valuable the stronger the user is. Half-humans and reincarnated devils of high supernatural strength can use Twice Critical to become real threats in combat to those who should be leagues above them.

Issei was just a human before his reincarnation, though, and an admittedly weak one at that. Twice Critical can't possibly account for the massive potential the evil pieces detect in the boy.

"As proud as I am of you trying to protect Ren, Issei," Rias says to bring her thoughts back to the situation at hand. "It was reckless of you to act alone like that. Be thankful he still has control over himself, or you could have been hurt."

Issei looks down at the floor, his arms held straight at his sides. The boy doesn't apologize verbally, but his contrite body language is enough for now. Besides, Rias really is proud of her new servant. Protecting your fellow peerage members is a wonderful instinct to have.

"For now, you should go home and-"

"President!" Issei suddenly declares and slams his hands down on the front of the desk between them. "You need to apologize to Amamiya!"

Rias just stares, her blue eyes captivated by the red-faced teen in front of her who does his best to hold the gaze and not flinch. Hours ago Issei made a promise to be the Gremory family's most valuable servant, and now he is going against his master? Akeno watches from behind the boy with a wariness Rias can't blame her for, not after what happened with Ren.

Issei didn't elaborate on whatever conversation passed between him and the stray devil, but obviously it has affected him deeply.

"Issei," Rias begins to explain with a gentle tone. The devil has no desire to see another escalation tonight. "Ren attacked my peerage and ran. He needs to be disciplined, not coddled."

"I was there," Issei reminds his master with a desperate expression. "I saw how surprised he looked when that monster thing came out and attacked. You said you don't know how Amamiya can do all that stuff, but I don't think he did it on purpose either! Not at first!"

"All the more reason Ren needs to be caught," Rias says. "So he doesn't accidentally hurt anyone else."

"I don't think that's a problem, president," Issei says in a much softer tone as he leans back to stand up straight again. The boy's eyes drift off to the side in remembrance, a shudder in his stance. "He seems like he's got it under control now."

"How can you know that?" Akeno asks, her body very still and her hands clasped together politely in front of her stomach.

"Because after I got my Sacred Gear, he told me to come back here for help. He didn't want me to go back, but he told me to anyway because he knew you were my only way to learn how to use this safely," Issei explains and summons the red gauntlet again as a demonstration. "I think if Amamiya wasn't totally sure he was in control, he would have come back on his own rather than risk hurting someone."

Rias takes a breath to calm herself. The wayward servant really has gotten under this one's skin.

"What did Ren say to you?" Akeno asks after a few seconds, a curious lilt to her voice. "You aren't referring to him as an upperclassman anymore."

"Ah..." Issei begins to answer, then trails off. The boy looks away, shame on his face. "Amamiya made me realize, even if it was to save his life, I was trying to force him to listen against his will. So it's kind of hard to call him that now after what I did."

Issei's eyes lock back on Rias. The master recalls her discussion with the boy earlier in the night about how servants should be treated. Apparently, Ren's excuses for running have managed to hit a vulnerable point in Issei's thought process. Rias sees the weight on her new servant's mind and desires nothing more than to soothe his worries.

"Issei, please go home and leave the rest to us. We have experience with-"

"Please stop trying to shield me, president," Issei interrupts again, more resolute this time. The boy's honest but desperate expression actually makes Rias pause.

"Shield you?"

"You try to avoid talking about what happened with Amamiya, and you keep looking at me like you expect me to run away too," the Pawn explains. Rias is honestly surprised to hear this, more assured of her own self-control than what her servant describes. In fact, what Issei thinks he sees is more likely to be in his own head than anything Rias actually showed on her face. It's understandable for the boy to fear losing his master's trust after what Ren did, after all. "I'm not going anywhere. You can talk to me about it, about anything."

Rias doesn't want to dismiss an offer made to her so earnestly, but there really is little to talk about. Still, the girl folds her hands over one another on the desk and smiles back at her servant with gratitude.

"I appreciate that, and I promise I believe you, Issei. Something like this is just best left to the rest of us to handle," Rias reiterates, then stops. There is one thing the redhead can admit to.

"If I ever look worried for you," the girl explains with a lowered head. "It's not because I think you'll run away too. It just seems like my desire to grant you a peaceful transition has been foiled at every turn; first by Raynare's unexpected assassination, then by the fallen angel in the park, and now by another of my own servants."

"It's al... well, I guess it's not alright. But it's not your fault," Issei says as he scratches the back of his head. "Or if it is, I don't know how so I don't blame you."

Rias actually laughs, a genuine expression of thanks and affection. The girl hadn't expected to show the more personable side of herself to Issei yet, but this crucible has resulted in two unexpected extremes and she has a hard time keeping up with both of them at the same time.

"To think I would gain the most loyal servant and the most rebellious servant both at the same time," the redhead muses fondly. The King genuinely doesn't think of her rebellious servant as being lost. Ren will come back, Rias doesn't doubt this assumption for a moment. The redhead only questions how difficult her Pawn will make it for himself, and hopes he comes to his senses sooner rather than later.

"I'm not really more loyal than anyone else," Issei says, suddenly embarrassed by the praise. The boy looks over at Akeno as if he's worried the other devil will be insulted, but she just smiles indulgently. "I chose to be here, that's all."

"What do you mean?" Akeno asks, curious. "You and Ren were both revived after death."

"Yeah, but... l made a wish, right? That's not a lie you made up. I wanted to live, and if this is the price I'm willing to pay it. I want the chance to make my dream come true. That's all there is to it."

How delightfully straightforward, Rias thinks.

"I know you only wanted me because of this," Issei says as he turns back to Rias and makes his Sacred Gear vanish in another flash of green. "It's not like you go around saving everyone from death, right?"

"Well, of course," Rias says with the absolute decorum of a noble. "I only have so many servants I can bring into my family, so I have to consider who to choose very carefully."

Rias sees Akeno's eyebrow rise from over Issei's shoulder and doesn't appreciate the implied accusation one bit. So what if the heiress probably _would_ reincarnate every hurt, abandoned kid she came across if she could? It's not like Akeno didn't benefit from her master's weakness for people in trouble.

"Right," Issei nods, oblivious to the silent exchange going through him. "So if this thing is how I can pay you back, then I'll use it for you."

"Thank you, Issei."

"But Amamiya won't think about it like that."

"What?" Rias asks, not ready for the sudden return to the original topic and the hard look now on her Pawn's face again.

"If you want him to be safe, you need to apologize first! It's the only way!"

Rias stares at her earnest servant with a cool expression. Demands are not something Rias is accustomed to. The one thing the girl's parents have required of her, the arranged marriage, is the one thing she plans to fight them on. Still, Issei looks ready to burst at the seams for his effort to make peace between his new master and his fellow victim.

Rias lets go of her reservations, sits back down, and crosses her hands again.

"Explain."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Joker steels himself for potentially the most dangerous period of his already long night. For all the struggle it had been in the moment, the reincarnated devil's skirmish with Yuuto and Koneko had still involved both sides holding back to avoid hurting one another. Fallen angels will probably just go for the kill, like Shadows.

Joker examines the building before him. While the wood appears plain, a quick sweep with the Third Eye reveals hidden yellow lines all around the door and walls of the property. The lines glow and mark out a complex pattern, one Joker assumes to be a magic formula like the kind Akeno vaguely described to him. An invisible magic protects this place.

 _'Of course,_ ' Joker thinks as he flips out his trusty lockpick. _'If fallen angel security has the same oversight as devil security...'_

A few moments later the old brass keyhole of the door is bent to Joker's will. The satisfying click of a successfully unlocked door is not accompanied by any reaction from the protective magic around the church.

 _'Perfect.'_

For safety's sake, Joker reaches into the pockets of his coat and pulls out another infiltration tool from his days with the Phantom Thieves. When used in the Metaverse, this bottle of stealthanol lowers the security level of a Palace and makes Shadows less alert to intrusion. Joker isn't sure how his demonic power might influence the effect of the item in the real world, where it is just a harmless homemade deodorant, but he's willing to experiment with one of his cheaper tools. The item's more powerful counterpart, convertizer, might have a stronger effect, but Joker doesn't want to waste one on a trial run.

Joker focuses on his memories of the Palaces he infiltrated and his use of stealthanol to lower the Shadows' guard. Sure enough, when the thief sprays the contents of the small bottle he can feel a dip in his demonic power as it infuses the mixture. Based on the night's previous events and how the new devil's imagination affected things so far, he guesses the item may bring a sense of security to any occupants of the building who smell it and make them less attentive, thus easier to sneak around.

 _'Time to put it to the test.'_

Joker pushes one of the two doors open a crack, as silently as he can. The thief rested outside the church for a while to recover some of his spent strength, but his demonic power is not back to full so caution is warranted. Even without magic to hide with, there is little sound made and no alert seems to be thrown inside the abandoned place of worship. Bolstered by this success, Joker pushes the door open more, just to the point of being able to barely squeeze in if he needs to.

Joker is instantly on high alert. Despite the use of stealthanol, the thief's survival instincts kick in as strongly as they would when a Palace's security rating reached its maximum level. A nervous energy causes the boy's fingers to twitch before his experience and willpower clamp down so he won't fidget. This may be a new enemy stronghold, and Joker may be alone, but he is still the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Failure is unacceptable.

Voices can be heard inside. The source is too far away and they speak softly enough so the words can't be made out clearly even with devil ears, but they are close enough to distinguish multiple distinct tones. A quick glance reveals the entrance leads directly into an open worship hall, an aisle flanked by pews and headed by an altar at the other end. Despite the voices, no one appears to be present anywhere on the open floor.

Joker frowns, but is determined to push on. Demonic power begins to cloak the devil's presence once more and he rolls through the partially-open door with all the noise and disturbance of a passing shadow. Joker quickly braces himself in a low crouch behind the nearest wooden pew and freezes there. There is no response. The motion repeats as Joker flits his way forward slowly, swinging out around pews one at a time and hiding as he goes. Every movement feels unusually heavy, as if the boy is literally weighed down by the very conception of the threat posed to devils here.

Eventually, as the voices become more clear, their source becomes more apparent as well. The speakers are not on the floor, they are all above it.

"I can't believe a devil actually took that trash in," a familiar voice says with what sounds like a genuine laugh.

The fallen angel who took Ren Amamiya's life is here. Joker stills and dares a peek above.

There are four. The fallen angels are each positioned on high perches around the open worship hall of their hideout. The group is silent for a moment as they all consider the report of the one who attacked Issei a short time ago. Four pairs of eyes regard each other with varied reactions to the news, but none of them glance downward at the boy who hides below.

Joker has several expectations for when he sees Raynare again for the first time. Righteous anger. A chance for retribution. Pretty much just a general need to kick the woman's face in, really. The new devil feels all of this, but is surprised by how muted it is.

Perhaps it is simply a matter of experience. Masayoshi Shido may not have literally murdered Ren Amamiya, but when the politician framed the teenager for assault it certainly felt like the life the boy had lived until then was well and truly over. Joker may also have been thrust into a new concept of reality because of the fallen angel's actions, but the Metaverse had done the same to him once before as well. After all Joker has been through, the boy's raw hatred for Raynare is somehow less than he'd expected it to be.

Which isn't to say the young man _doesn't_ want to kick Raynare's face in. Joker absolutely does, he's just able to keep a handle on his emotions and stay silent as he observes the situation at hand. A chance for justice will come, of this there is no doubt in the thief's heart.

"So the one I mistook for a stray was the same boy," one says. The only male present hides his face beneath a dipped fedora and muffles his body language with a matching light grey trench coat as he leans on a wall. This one stands on a pedestal, once home to a now-toppled statue of an angel. The tall man's straight brown hair frames a contemplative expression when he raises his head. "A shame I was interrupted."

"At least we learned whose territory this is, Dohnaseek" another says in a sing-song voice. A shorty in a _Gothic Lolita_ black dress with white lace kicks her feet in the air from where she is seated on a large light fixture, right above a smashed stained glass window. The blonde seems to be without a care in the world, but her cruel smile ruins any image of innocence her youthful face and twin-tails hairstyle might otherwise suggest. "Makes sense why it was so hard to come by the info before. A big shot family like the Gremory probably wanted to keep their heiress's movements secret from the other factions. It should be easier to sneak the nun in under their noses now that we know who to look for."

 _'Nun?'_ Joker wonders as he also begins to come to a new realization. _'This... this isn't Japanese.'_

Whatever language the fallen angels converse in, it isn't one the boy recognizes. It is soft and lyrical, almost musical. Joker may even call the sentences beautiful, if not for the interchanges of plain and harsh cadence the four use when they speak.

 _'Is this the language of angels?'_ the devil wonders. ' _How do I understand this?_

"No, Mittelt. Not if the girl's peerage remains on high alert," Issei's latest attacker refutes from her position next to a torn-apart painting of a saint. The woman's low monotone voice is a perfect match for her professional expression. The stark contrast between the blue-haired fallen angel's serious persona and her scandalously revealing clothes is quite something to observe. "The blond one still patrols the skies, he is specifically watching for us."

"Relax, Kalawarner. It's all the better if they're too distracted by our presence to take notice of another human coming into town," Raynare states with a confident toss of her raven locks. The leather-clad assassin leans back from her perch atop a snapped-off crucifix and grins. "We'll have what we need to complete our work soon, with those devils none the wiser."

 _'They're running some kind of clandestine operation?'_ Joker speculates.

"How will you report this, Raynare?" the man, Dohnaseek, asks with noticeable concern.

"No need to worry," the woman declares. "I'll let them know surveillance was suspended due to devil interference."

"Just the surveillance?" the blonde girl, Mittelt, asks with curiosity.

"Wait a moment," the older woman, Kalawarner, interjects. A curious glint is present in those sharp yellow eyes, despite an otherwise professional demeanor. "Did you not receive an official kill order?"

The other two fallen ones blink curiously at Raynare after this question.

"Who cares?" the raven-haired one deflects. "Watching that filthy human was just a distraction from our real purpose here. Whether his Sacred Gear could be a threat to Grigori or not wouldn't matter after he was dead. Either way, we now have an excuse to stop wasting time on him and focus on the more important goal."

The other three fallen angels seem to tense with unspoken protest, but it lasts only a moment before they let it go.

 _'I guess she's in charge,'_ Ren deduces. _'Is it just rank, or is she actually more powerful than them?'_

Raynare's true goal is an interesting subject, but not necessarily helpful. The purpose of this reconnaissance is to learn the fallen angels' point of view. As audacious as Joker may be, even he understands just walking out and asking his killer for her side of the story isn't a smart play. All the thief can do is listen and hope.

"I wonder if it will be as easy as you think," Dohnaseek suddenly speaks up. The man reaches up to dip his hat down over his eye line.

"What do you mean by that?" Raynare leans forward and asks, a challenge in her tone.

"The Gremory peerage's movements are abnormal," is the explanation given before Dohnaseek turns toward his blue-haired colleague. "Kalawarner, you said the boy had their crest on him this time, correct?"

"That's right," the stoic woman answers. "He didn't display it right away, but it was there."

"Would the peerage need to keep patrols on lookout for us if the boy can prove his connection to a noble house now?"

"The guy sounds like he has no survival instinct still," Mittelt says with a mocking chuckle at the absent Issei's expense. "I mean, Kalawarner said the blond devil had to save him before he even showed his crest, right? Just stood there and waited to be speared in the face."

"If that were the reason then the other devil would be escorting the useless lump," Raynare realizes. "Not flying in at the last moment."

"Exactly," Dohnaseek agrees.

"The boy said there were other members of the Gremory peerage out tonight," Kalawarner reminds the group. "Surely they have enough in their number to watch the skies and still escort their newest member if they are concerned for him. There must be something else happening."

"You mean those devils are up to something too?" Mittelt asks with a gasp. "You don't think they've caught on to us, do you?"

"I doubt it," Raynare disagrees. "More likely they're too wrapped up in their own interests to worry about us, even after tonight."

"What could it be, then?" Mittelt wonders.

There is a moment of silence, broken when Raynare suddenly snorts out a derisive laugh.

"No," the raven-haired one says to herself, a hand over her mouth and amusement shining in her violet eyes. "It couldn't be."

"What?" the blonde questions.

"If the Gremory heiress reincarnated Issei Hyoudou then she must have arrived very shortly after I left," Raynare explains. "If you recall, I had to leave one extra body behind that night."

"The bystander?" Dohnaseek recalls.

"I thought he might have a minor Sacred Gear, given how he slipped through my barrier without a hint of magic in him. You know how devils love to snap those up for themselves. I mean, they even took in Issei of all people just because he had one. A random kid is honestly a step up after that."

 _'She sure loves dissing Hyoudou,'_ Joker notices. _'Was the assassination personal for her somehow?'_

As the thief ponders this possibility he silently slips away from the pews and leans behind a support beam near the back of the worship hall. Taking all the visible entrances of the room into account, this position should allow Joker to remain hidden as long as his demonic power lasts.

"So you suspect the heiress confirmed the presence of another Sacred Gear and they now have two new recruits," Kalawarner summarizes. "The odds of two appearing together at random are quite low, though..."

"Even still, it wouldn't explain their behavior," Dohnaseek argues softly. "Two escorts for two new recruits would be the logical course of action."

Raynare just smirks, and after a moment Mittelt's eyes go wide.

"Oh... Oh!" the girl exclaims.

"What is it?" Kalawarner asks.

"Ahahaha! Haha!," Mittelt laughs out with tears in her eyes. "You think… hehe… that not only did the Gremory heiress take in a nobody bystander… snrrf… but he also went stray immediately!?"

Mittelt loses the ability to speak for a few seconds more, her giggles totally uncontrolled. Raynare chuckles as well while the other two digest this possibility in silence.

"It would be a rather large scandal," Kalawarner eventually says without a hint of humor in her voice.

"And the need to hunt for him would explain why the peerage has spread itself thin," Dohnaseek concurs.

"I hope it's true," Mittelt says after her laughter subsides. "A Gremory losing a reincarnated human in one day would be hilarious."

"I'm sure she's incompetent enough to do so," Raynare states. "But we should focus on our own work, not wild guesses. Whatever the devils are actually doing is irrelevant to us. We don't need to move about to accomplish our goal anymore."

"True," the male agrees. "Besides, the devils' indoctrination techniques are strong. Even if they rarely reincarnate the deceased, the number who resist so soon afterwards are still a small percentage. I doubt a normal human would have the intelligence to see through their control."

Now this is a more interesting subject to the unseen spy. It sounds to Joker like fallen angels talk about devils recruiting humans with Sacred Gears the same way Rias talked about Grigori doing so. Jealousy over lost recruits on both sides, perhaps? Joker can't be sure, but both sides clearly think the other is the one in the wrong; no surprise there. The mention of indoctrination techniques and control is also concerning, though the fallen angel's biased opinion could be coloring his assessment.

It is something of a relief to hear confirmation that devils don't often reincarnate the dead to be their servants against the person's will. At least, it sounds like they don't unless the person has a Sacred Gear or something else uniquely tempting, like Joker himself. On second thought, the news isn't much of a relief after all, it's just devils being picky about who they enslave.

"Doesn't matter either way, I guess," Mittelt consents. "He'll be killed eventually if he did run, no matter by who. It's always fun to find the ones who go stray before they turn into monsters instead of after, though. They can beg for their lives way better, as long as you catch them soon enough."

 _'So that part's true?'_ Joker realizes with a grimace. Of all the things Rias tried to convince the boy of, literally losing his mind and humanity if he doesn't let her run his life was the part he most wanted to be a lie. _'I don't even know how long I have, either.'_

Joker's fists tighten with determination. An alternate solution to this problem will have to be found as soon as possible.

Before Raynare can give final consensus to the meeting at hand, a loud scraping noise signals a new arrival to the scene. The large altar at the head of the room slides to the side and reveals a hidden staircase. A woman cloaked in dark robes emerges from below, her head bowed in respect and covered by a hood.

"Pardon masters, but the device has been moved and we require one of you to empower..."

The woman bites her tongue at the sight of the masked stranger behind a nearby pillar. Joker had taken all visible entrances into account for his hiding place, but not secret ones. Wide brown eyes framed by short bangs of fair hair stare at the devil, their owner totally unprepared for an intruder to just hang around in, to her perspective, plain sight.

 _'Well... this is about to get interesting.'_

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"It's the right thing to do!"

Rias spares a glance away from Issei's pleading face. The redhead's unimpressed blue eyes meet her Queen's disappointed violet, and the two share an unspoken agreement.

They were expecting more.

"Issei," Rias say as she returns her attention to the Pawn. "I don't think Ren will appreciate an empty gesture like that."

"It won't be empty if you mean it," Issei complains.

"I haven't done anything to apologize for," Rias tries to say without losing her patience. "I saved Ren's life. His service is hardly an unreasonable thing to ask in return."

"But you didn't ask!"

Rias blinks.

"If you asked Amamiya to pay you back instead of just telling him he was a servant now he might have agreed!" Issei continues, obviously desperate for what he says to be true even though he has no proof. "Maybe not for forever, but at least he wouldn't be on the run right now!"

Rias frowns. Of course the redhead didn't ask for the boy's service; Ren's debt to her is obvious. Besides, there's no way for the boy to survive without accepting his new role in devil society, and even if the new Pawn didn't know that at first he did by the time he ran off. All societies come with rules, and Ren's immediate and flagrant dismissal of his new authority figures is hardly what the heiress would call a reasonable course of action.

"And you think that means I should be the one apologizing?" Rias asks with disbelief.

"You're the one who said she cares," Issei returns, his voice quiet now. The girl leans back a little at the accusation. "I still think Amamiya should apologize for worrying everyone. I think he wanted to make a big show of running away instead of talking things out as much as he could. Even if I'm wrong, though, he isn't the one who said he cared about you. If you don't say you're sorry first then he won't ever come back."

Issei dips his head. It's obvious this desperate twist of logic is a result of how turbulent the night has been, the last several nights in fact, on the teen. Issei just wants everyone to get along so he can have some peace back in his life. Honestly, though, Rias wishes to provide just that.

"If he's really family, then you should be willing to see his point of view on things," the boy continues. "So, can't you be even a little bit sorry? At least for how you told him?"

"You didn't like how we told you?" Akeno asks Issei, her own expression unusually soft.

"It's not that," Issei denies with a shake of his head. "But I'm not as smart as Amamiya."

For once, Issei admitting an inferiority to Ren isn't accompanied by denial in his body language. There's a sad smile on the teen's face, though.

"You all probably should have sat down without me and laid it out for him first. After everything I saw tonight, I think he could have handled it."

Rias refrains from pouting. It could, perhaps, be said that the redhead was a little too invested in showing off for her new Pawns during their introduction to the supernatural. Rias was so excited, though! Two new servants of incredible potential, and still six more pawn pieces to use besides! In all the celebration, Rias could have forgotten to take each Pawn's individual needs into account.

Possibly.

The Gremory family teachings weigh down on the heiress. Reincarnated devils aren't just servants, they are adopted family members. Service is a natural and respected part of devil society, and the reincarnated should be carefully prepared for that aspect of their new lives before they are brought into the fold. Rias knows this... but the second attack on Issei's life the night after he became a devil drove her to act quickly. Too quickly.

There really is something for the heiress to feel sorry for.

"Alright Issei, you've made your point," Rias states. The devil's pride won't allow her to admit any more at this juncture. "But we still have to find Ren first, so go home and get some sleep before classes start, OK?"

Issei looks elated, his smile true enough to warm his master's heart. It is clear the Pawn has interpreted the girl's words as an admission he is correct, despite her reluctance to do so out loud.

"Yes! Thank you, president!" the boy declares before he turns and runs to the exit. Issei pauses in the threshold and turns back to the two girls with conviction. "I knew you'd prove you aren't the villain Amamiya thinks you are!"

With that, the boy is gone.

Rias and Akeno wait in comfortable silence for a few moments until the redhead is certain Issei is out of earshot.

"Why am I the villain?" the heiress sulks, her noble bearing allowed to thaw while in the company of only her Queen.

Akeno just chuckles. Neither of the girls are really in the mood for true amusement, but the effort at levity is appreciated.

"What do you think, Akeno?" Rias asks, seriously this time.

"Apologizing won't make Ren return, but it will probably help."

"So you think I handled it poorly too?"

"Ren is quite willful," the brunette summarizes. "A gentler approach may have worked better if it made him feel less challenged. I don't think any of us could have predicted the severity of his reaction, though."

Rias just lowers her eyes.

 _"This man has within him... a rebel's soul."_

She could have. No, she _should_ have.

"Well, if there's a silver lining to take from this," Rias says with some comfort. "Then at least Ren being able to hide from us so well means there's no chance he'll run afoul of any fallen angels."

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

"What? Who are you?!"

The newcomer pulls a small device from her robe and holds it in front of her like a weapon. The item appears to be a silver cylinder with small religious designs Joker's devil sight can make out even at a distance. The boy in question remains idle and contemplates the situation.

 _'That sounds like... Italian, maybe?'_ Joker thinks. _'And it's still clear to me exactly what she's saying.'_

Joker thinks back to one of Akeno's last comments to him on the previous night, the one about keeping the other supernatural powers of devils a surprise.

 _'I'm definitely surprised. I can magically understand any language I hear? Useful.'_

"Arianna? What's going on?" asks the voice of the male fallen angel, also in Italian now.

 _'Well, nothing to do but put on a show and get whatever more I can out of this,'_ Joker decides. With a smirk on his face the devil drops his stealth and steps out into the dim light of the hall, hands in his pockets. _'I wonder if I can communicate back?_ '

"Sorry to interrupt," the masked boy lies. "Your meeting was so interesting I forgot to introduce myself."

Every fallen angel present leaps into the air and summons a light spear to their hand, all of them taken by surprise.

"You can call me Joker."

 _'Perfect Italian. How about that?'_

"How?" Kalawarner questions while her own yellow spear is gripped tight. "How did you get in here undetected?"

"You guys have the same flaw in your security the devils do," Joker half-explains, shifting as he does to lean back casually on the support beam he had been hidden behind a moment ago. "I don't think I'll enlighten you about what it is, though."

"The devils? Ha! You think we can't tell you're a devil yourself?" Mittelt asks with a cruel smile, her pink spear now held playfully behind her head.

"You..." Raynare's voice trails off. The sound distracts the others from their anger, and they see the raven-haired woman is wide-eyed with surprise.

"Hello again," the object of the brunette's surprise says as he slips his mask off to the side of his face with one red-gloved hand. "Raynare of Grigori."

The hostile emotions running through Joker's body intensify as he gazes up at his murderer out in the open instead of from a hidden corner. The devil clamps down hard on an adrenaline buzz of anger before it incites him to act out rashly rather than seize the opportunity to learn vital information.

 _'Guess my anger at her runs deeper than I first thought.'_

The boy still has no intention of getting himself killed a second time, though.

The other fallen angels look curiously to Raynare, who loses her shock quickly. The woman snarls when she recognizes the boy and her red spear begins to shake in her angry grasp.

"So I was right. The devil did reincarnate you as well."

"This is the bystander?" Dohnaseek asks, his own blue spear now lowered to his side but still ready to be used. The man looks down on the devil with curiosity in his eyes. "Surely you don't believe your master's family crest will protect you in enemy territory, boy?"

"Actually, you were right about more than one thing," Joker admits as he replaces his mask over his face.

There's a long pause after the boy's words while the assembled fallen angels let the implied fact sink in. The robed woman, Arianna, just sneers at the devil in the silence.

Before long, Mittelt starts to break out into gleeful chuckles. The other fallen angels also display their own more conservative amusement in response to the broken silence. Well, not Kalawarner, she remains as stone-faced as ever.

"Ahahaha! Haha! Y-you're telling me," Mittelt forces out with tears in her eyes. "That… hehe… we were right?! Not only did the Gremory heiress take in a random corpse… snrrf… but he really did go stray immediately!?"

Mittelt loses the ability to speak for a few seconds more, her giggles totally uncontrolled. Raynare and the other fallen angels are observant of the intruder throughout the display, but Joker remains unaffected.

"It was just an amusing theory," Dohnaseek says with a shake of his head. "To think it was true."

"Well, I couldn't trust anything they told me after I was brought back. They're devils, after all," Joker says easily. Getting the fallen angels to see the stray amicably will be key if he wants to draw out any more info, and playing up their biases seems like the best method available.

"And so you wander into the presence of four fallen angels of your own accord?" Dohnaseek asks, incredulous.

"If you wish for death we will be happy to oblige," Kalawarner states.

"Actually, I'm looking for answers," is the calm response.

"Why seek knowledge here?" Dohnaseek wonders. The man seems the most curious of the four.

"To get your side of the story," Joker explains. "Of course, one of you is my killer, so I couldn't trust you fully either. That's why I thought I'd listen in for a while."

"How dare you!?" the robed woman yells. The device in the newcomer's hand suddenly sparks to life and a thin blade-shaped construct of white light shoots out of the open top. Arianna holds the cylinder like a sword hilt and glares at the masked boy across from her. "The only answer you'll find here is your end!"

"Oh man… Raynare, maybe we should let him live," the youngest-looking one present says as she finishes her laughter and wipes her eyes clean. "The name Joker is spot on. His existence is hilarious."

"Not a chance," Raynare states with deadpan seriousness that makes Joker worry he has miscalculated his odds of teasing some more details out of the group. After a moment, though, the killer's mouth stretches into a predatory grin and inspiration lights up in her eyes. "But there's no reason not to let him have the answers he seeks before he's permanently erased."

Joker watches with curiosity as Raynare and the other four, after a brief hand signal from their leader, fly around to new positions in the hall. Each of the winged beings takes up a corner of a wide square formation in the open air above the devil and the human. The four colorful spears are all pointed directly down at the devil.

 _'I guess I'm the one being held up now,'_ Joker observes as he is enclosed by the four in a way reminiscent of how the Phantom Thieves held Shadows at gunpoint. The setup is also similar to how Shadows would surround the Phantom Thieves in the Metaverse whenever the creatures managed to catch the team by surprise. Unlike Shadows, though, these fallen angels were still interested in getting something from Joker.

"We'll answer any question you like," Raynare promises with dark amusement in her eyes. "For as long as you manage to stay alive against our comrade here."

Apparently, what they want is some entertainment.

"Don't disappoint us, Arianna," Mittelt says with childlike glee.

 _'Is this how Shadows felt when I negotiated with them?'_ the boy wonders idly. _'I was never so heavy-handed, was I?'_

Joker is able to eye the woman before him for just a moment longer, then she springs into action.

"Die, devil scum!"

Joker's hand reaches above and grips the edge of some of the decorative etching on the beam behind him. The boy hoists himself up with his superhuman strength and flips over to land both feet on the side of the beam to avoid Arianna's blade of light, which carves a gash through the wood and plaster. Joker pushes off and leaps out toward the center of the room, flipping over into a three-point landing as he does.

 _'Well, since they've made the offer...'_

"What do you mean by permanently erased?" Joker calls out while he watches his opponent turn around. This might be the newest question on the boy's list, but it also seems the most pertinent now.

"Oh? Didn't stick around Gremory long enough to learn about exorcism?" Mittelt mocks while Arianna rushes back to her target.

"A devil destroyed by the light of our Father is erased from existence," Joker hears Dohnaseek explain while the devil ducks under a horizontal slash. "Whether by the power of his children or the blessed implements of the Church's exorcists, there is no further reincarnation for their souls afterwards."

Arianna tries to cut off Joker's side-step with a low slash, but the agile teen hops over her blade. The thief can't help but grit his teeth in annoyance at how hard it is to move the way he wants, though. The sensation wasn't as obvious when the devil was sneaking around slowly, but full combat makes it clear the effect is more than just a bad feeling.

"How much of humanity's religious leadership are in on the truth about your existence?"

"There's a difference between the humans who worship Father by faith and the those who actually serve Heaven directly," Raynare says. "Those who do Heaven's work on Earth are called the Church. They have cells secretly operating inside most of the religious groups tied to Father. True knowledge of our existence isn't related to any level of leadership outside the Church."

Joker backpedals as his opponent goes through several attack patterns. The woman is swift and confident in her movements. Joker is also able to notice several instances of religious iconography on the human as she tries to kill him.

"So you're part of the Church?" the boy asks, trying to distract Arianna by looking right at her. The woman's hard brown eyes are full of hate and she does not waver for an instant, which forces Joker to retreat with a roll behind her before he's pinned to the wall. "No offence, but why's an exorcist working for Grigori?"

"Just as there are stray devils, so too are there stray exorcists," Kalawarner dispassionately explains as she watches the attempted murder below her. "Those who were excommunicated by the Church for various reasons."

"Arianna couldn't hold herself back from killing devils, even when ordered to by her superiors," Raynare chuckles. "It's a trait I value greatly."

Joker's wings flare and lift him up, out of the exorcist's reach.

"If Gri-"

Joker is cut off by a flash of red. The boy leans back in the air, narrowly avoids Raynare's light spear going through his head, and then drops back to the ground when a second pink spear is also hurled his way from another direction.

"Ah ah ah," Mittelt chides with a wag of her finger. "No leaving the arena. That includes the air above it."

Arianna capitalizes on Joker's descent with a thrust, but he spins around her side with a flourish of his tailcoat. Joker swings in behind Arianna and throws both gloves out to catch the woman's wrists when she turns around to face him.

The devil manages to hold the woman back, but is surprised by how close the contest of strength is. The exorcist struggles against her enemy's grip with what feels like abnormal power of her own. Or is it just the overwhelming feeling of threat Joker has sensed since he entered this building draining at his willpower and making him weaker than before?

"If Grigori takes in stray exorcists..." Joker forces out as Arianna pushes him back. "Does it accept stray devils as well?"

"You wish to join the organization that killed you?" Dohnaseek asks.

Joker gives up on holding Arianna with brute strength and leaps back, giving himself a moment to speak while she stumbles forward from the sudden lack of resistance.

"It sounds more like Raynare went rogue and murdered me, not Grigori."

The raven-haired woman doesn't hold back a snarl at her victim's verbal jab.

"You aren't the first stray devil to seek sanctuary with us," Dohnaseek answers. "But none have ever been accepted. Grigori may recruit from many species, but becoming a haven for insane criminals would give our enemies an excuse to move against us simultaneously. Stray exorcists are not all wanted criminals, even if many become so."

 _'I didn't want to join,'_ Joker thinks. _'Just curious if I'd even be allowed.'_

Arianna rights herself in front of the devil and scowls. Joker takes the girl's pause as a chance to act.

"Obariyon!" Joker calls. In a flash, the small piggyback demon of Japanese folklore appears above him. The pink-skinned imp floats there with its belly and hands embedded with gold coins. A fanged smile fills the lower half of the Persona copy's over-sized head, the rest of which is covered by the bangs of its purple hair. A long braid swings in the air behind the creature, far down below the bottoms of its feet. Joker holds his face as it burns with blue flame and stares between his fingers at a shocked Arianna.

"You have a familiar? So soon?" Kalawarner asks, her monotone voice laced with a hint of surprise this time.

Arianna braces herself with her sword, but is unprepared for a harsh green glow to shine out from the summoned creature's coin decorations like an array of spot lights. The colored power passes right through the exorcist's defenses, apparently harmlessly. Arianna glances at herself, confused, then looks back up when Joker's false Persona vanishes in another burst of light and his mask returns to normal.

"How long do I have before being a stray devil affects my mind?" Joker asks in the stillness following his summon.

"A distraction to stall for more questions?!" Arianna yells after she realizes she is unharmed. The woman looks even angrier now and charges back in.

"There is no way to know for sure," Dohnaseek answers the devil. "Your demonic power will grow out of control based on your inability to instinctively process it like a pure-blooded devil would. The more you embrace desire like a devil the longer you may last, but at the same time the stronger you will be influenced to go beyond reason in satisfying yourself. There is no means to stave off the inevitable except the connection you have to your devil master."

Joker isn't ready to accept that as fact yet.

 _'They mentioned familiars. I think I know what those are already, if it's the same as in fiction. Could the thing with Rias's aura at my house be her familiar, then?'_ Joker wonders. _'And if so...'_

"How many familiars can a devil have?"

"As many as they are comfortable supporting," Raynare snaps, annoyance in her tone.

 _'So an army of creatures searching for me isn't out of the question. Wonderful.'_

"Are the devils in this town really teenagers, or is that just a cover?"

"The heiress of House Gremory and her Queen are," Kalawarner reports. "I do not know the rest."

 _'Her Queen? Himejima?'_ Ren wonders, unfamiliar with the title.

"I have a question of my own," Mittelt interjects. "What the **hell** did you do to Arianna!?"

Joker smirks. Asking questions for the last few seconds has been rather easy.

The stray exorcist's blade of light slides past the devil's left side, effortlessly avoided. Arianna tries to follow-up on her attack, but just like her last several attempts the woman finds her body slightly more difficult to move than usual and she is unable to keep up with the graceful phantom thief's retreat.

"I noticed my body isn't moving well in here," Joker explains, not wanting to antagonize the fallen angels into ceasing their very helpful answers. "So I evened the odds."

Arianna glares at the boy, but despite his confident expression Joker knows the Sukunda effect hampering her physical and mental agility is going to wear off any moment now. The fake Obariyon's skill is based on the boy's imagination, after all, and his imagination is only clear enough to mold a magical effect because of the memory of how it worked in the Metaverse.

 _'A shame I can't just imagine it lasting forever,'_ Joker thinks as he watches Arianna blink in surprise, no doubt the moment when the sluggishness of her body and mind fades away. The devil really tried to imagine the woman under the effect of the skill for longer, but his solid image of how Sukunda is supposed to work in his head doesn't allow for such a convenience.

At least, that's what Joker believes. Belief and fact are practically the same when it comes to this roughshod devil magic the boy has accidentally worked out.

"What's causing this effect on my body? Is it really just because I'm in a church?" Joker asks since the topic has been brought up.

"An excellent question," Raynare says with sudden glee. "Pay attention now, the answer is quite complicated."

 _'Uh oh.'_

The fallen angels must have noticed their stray exorcist's sudden return to form, because the only reason they would be pleased to give an in-depth explanation is to distract Joker from the fight.

"You see," Raynare says, her cadence slightly faster than before to force the boy to split his focus. "It all has to do with the power of Father. A newbie like you probably doesn't understand the difference between gods and other creatures, do you? There's more to being a god than just being strong, you see."

Joker bites the inside of his cheek as Arianna's blade of light cuts a thin line from the side of his coat. The fallen angels wouldn't know it, but the existence of beings like gods is the perfect subject to distract the phantom thief with after his encounter with Yaldabaoth.

"There are many gods in this world, all of whom are among the strongest beings in existence," Dohnaseek picks up. The man has also copied Raynare's tactic of speeding up his speech patterns to make him harder to listen to without more attention being paid. "And our Father is the strongest of the gods."

 _'Is he really the strongest, though, or is that just your opinion?'_ the brunet wonders.

Joker swallows a curse as Arianna capitalizes on her target's distraction and sweeps his leg out from under him with her own. The thief gracefully rolls backward instead of falling prone, but his assailant is quick to follow.

"The quality of divinity isn't one of just raw power, though, but of the power's nature," Kalawarner continues. "The aura of divine beings naturally spreads to encompass all of existence, no matter how far it must reach, in order to synchronize with and gather the thoughts and prayers of aligned mortals wherever they may be. The stronger the god the more potent their presence is even at great distances from the core of their being, but the power of the weakest gods is still everywhere. Even the few gods who died in the Great War have left their divine energy lingering in the fabric of existence for their followers to draw on after their deaths. That omnipresence is the true nature of divinity."

 _'Wait, does that mean...?'_

Joker messes up before he even realizes it. The mention of a god's power continuing to exist in the world after death causes flashes of the Phantom Thieves' final battle against the god of control to come to the boy's mind. The moment's distraction is not lost on Arianna, who starts to stab at the devil's openings so he is forced to crawl backwards from her in desperation.

"But I know what you're wondering," Mittelt chimes in with false sympathy. The simple act of changing who speaks is a great distraction all its own, especially with a topic of great personal interest like this. "If Father's power is everywhere, why do you only feel yourself impeded in here? It's simple, really. The same way magicians can use magic circles to craft arcane power into spells, a god's followers can also focus the divine energy that exists everywhere into miracles. This place has been hallowed by such a miracle, so the intensity of Father's presence here is focused on any devils who enter. Like you."

It was inevitable, really. Joker allowed his personal stake in Yaldabaoth's defeat to distract him, and now he pays the price. The god of control wasn't even a god of this world, so the same rules may not even apply. Regardless, Joker was still drawn in by the topic and now Arianna's white blade is aimed at the boy's heart right at the moment he backs up into a pillar and runs out of space to retreat.

"An exorcist's light sword is another example of a crafted miracle," Raynare adds with sadistic glee at the sight below her. "Father's power, focused into a blade to slay his enemies with."

Raynare times her words just right to coincide with Arianna's fatal blow, her intent being to send Joker off to oblivion with an explanation of the very implement of his demise.

Blue fire explodes between Joker and Arianna. Arsene's Cane forms in the boy's empty hand to smash the divine weapon away from its deadly trajectory. Arianna's wide brown eyes are shocked by the display, which Joker capitalizes on immediately by swinging himself around on the floor to slam his right foot into the woman's gut.

The exorcist is caught with her guard down, but Joker's instinctive reaction to save his life causes him to misjudge his strength. The boy watches in horror as the girl is flung clear across the hall from him. Arianna flies through the air and slams into the far wall with a sickening crack.

The body falls face-first to the floor of the worship hall. Joker remains where he is, kneeling across the way, and stares at the woman with wide eyes and his mouth agape.

"Did I kill her?" the teen wonders aloud, shocked by his loss of control.

Holding back in a fight is a skill Joker has little experience in. The few Shadows the Phantom Thieves purposefully kept alive in the Metaverse in order to hold up for negotiation were incapacitated by specific attacks, not worn down with careful and precise technique. Even if this Arianna person was trying to kill him seconds ago, Joker hadn't been ready to take his first human life today.

"Of course you didn't," Raynare snaps in annoyance. Joker's eyes are drawn to his murderer, whose body language oozes her disappointment. "Exorcists wouldn't be much good at hunting devils if they couldn't keep up with them."

Sure enough, Joker's gaze is drawn back to Arianna by movement. The woman pants, the blow to her abdomen responsible for her loss of breath, but the focus in her eyes has not been lost and she pushes herself back to her feet without any signs of substantial injury. Joker gets up off his own knee in a mirror of the woman's rise.

"One of the miracles known to the Church is an alchemical process used to enhance its exorcists beyond their natural limits," Kalawarner explains. The older-looking woman's opinion on Joker's survival is hidden behind her neutral facade. "The difference in power between you, a low-class devil, and her, an exorcist, isn't just an effect of this place. She possesses a superhuman body as well."

"Oh," Joker says with dull surprise. The boy looks across the room to see his opponent grin in anticipation. The girl revels in the surety of her superiority over the devil, and seems pleased to have him know it now as well.

"I must have looked awfully foolish holding back to not hurt her all this time, then."

Without allowing Arianna time to process this statement, Joker rushes forward and she instinctively takes a defensive stance. The boy lashes out with his cane in rapid strikes, aiming for openings that force the exorcist to block repeatedly without room to counter.

"What're your opinions on devils?" Joker asks loudly over the repeated clashes of his and the exorcist's weapons.

"What a ridiculous question," Raynare spits. "They're even lower than the filthy humans who have disappointed Father since their creation."

"Beings of innate evil who trampled over Father's works and earned his eternal ire," Dohnaseek adds in a scholarly tone.

"You've been corrupted into the worst of creatures," Mittelt adds happily. "As soon as Lord Azazel orders it, we'll happily finish the job from the Great War and wipe you all out."

Joker shifts his weight from side to side as he moves, constantly altering his angles of attack and evasion from Arianna's point of view.

"The New Devils faction are no better than the Old Satans," Kalawarner elaborates, as emotionless as if she were reading a high school history essay out loud. "They still use humans to bolster their own wealth and power, they simply do so under a pretension of civility now instead of open spite. Father has not forgiven them their evil roots."

 _'Interesting,'_ Joker interprets. _'Bias aside, it sounds like devils really are trying to play it more like a neutral party these days. No telling if its real or an act, though.'_

Arianna steps forward and strikes back at Joker. The devil's impeded movement in this hallowed space finally created an opening for the exorcist, and she capitalizes with an overhead slash toward his core. Joker responds with Arsene's Cane, and after a loud crash the two opponents become locked into another power struggle with their weapons crossed between them.

"Is the Gremory family really known for the kind treatment of its servants?" Joker asks through clenched teeth as he pushes his conjured weapon against Arianna's blade of light.

"I'd call it pragmatism, not kindness," Mittelt grouses. "Easier to keep more servants in line if they think you care. But yeah, they have a reputation like that."

 _'At least I probably didn't send Hyoudou back into a real monster's clutches after all, then.'_

Before Joker can vocalize another question, however, something changes. A loud crack is the only warning the devil has to step backward as fast as he can. It's enough to avoid being cut in half, but not enough to avoid Arianna's light sword opening up the devil's torso after it cuts clean through Arsene's Cane. The two halves of the Persona-based weapon vanish in the same flash of color they appeared from.

It hurts. It hurts a lot. Fortunately, Joker got to feel and become used to a lot of different forms of pain in the Metaverse. Being hit by an active Persona's elemental weakness is always especially disorienting, but the past experience of it lets the devil bite his screams down before they escape his throat so he can throw a left hook into the exorcist's right cheek. The girl is blown away off her feet, and Joker quickly moves his hands to hold pressure on his deep wound.

Arianna isn't thrown nearly as far away as the last time Joker hit her. The woman rolls on the floor and springs back to her feet with a vicious smile of victory on her face. Joker wants to remove the girl's expression, but he's too busy coping with a sensation akin to a painful fire burning in his veins.

"Let _me_ answer the question in your eyes this time," Arianna mocks her prey as she shifts into a more relaxed stance and brushes back some of her blonde locks. "That weapon was made of your own demonic power. It was as vulnerable to my light sword as you are."

"Did you think we would keep answering your questions if you had any real chance of winning?" Kalawarner asks with blunt sincerity.

"It was funny you thought you could win just by not holding back," Mittelt adds, her own voice full of all the mockery her blue-haired companion refrains from. "But you're toast now."

"The light will destroy you from the inside, a poison to your very existence," Dohnaseek clarifies, giving words to the suffocating agony that cloys throughout Joker's body.

"And with that, the game is over," Raynare decides. The fallen angels all raise their spears together, ready to bring an end to the devil's suffering.

"Pixie!"

Joker places a hand to his face and the mask bursts alive into a veil of blue flames once more. Arianna flinches and the fallen ones hold their attack, but instead of summoning another demonic entity to curse his foes Joker instead calls out a tiny fairy-like girl. The winged lady is clad in a blue leotard with matching leggings and long gloves, all of which confuse the assembled members of Grigori.

"Another familiar? This is absurd," the exorcist snarls. "And one of the fey?"

The new girl smiles kindly beneath a mop of short reddish hair, then gestures with a hand toward Ren and replicates the Dia healing skill. A sparkle of lights shower the boy, then vanish along with all traces of Joker's wound. With a flex of demonic power, Joker easily repairs his outfit to pristine condition as well simply by recreating it from scratch.

 _'Glad that worked,'_ Joker thinks as he stands up straight once more, his expression smoothed of all its previous misery. _'Not at full strength, but the pain is gone.'_

"I'm ending this now!" Arianna screams.

As the woman rushes in, the imagined form of Pixie once more casts a glow over her summoner, this time a colored flash of vivid red. When the exorcist reaches her opponent, the false Persona vanishes and Joker leans down into her space, prepared to intercept her forcefully. The devil watches his foe brace herself, both of them aware by now of the comparative levels of strength between them and how to adjust for it.

Arianna is fully unprepared for Joker's suddenly more powerful grip to tear her guard aside with brute force alone. After that, the knee to the exorcist's gut renders her a moot point.

Joker takes a few steps back, not needing to inflict any more harm before the replicated Tarukaja skill wears off and his offensive power returns to normal. Receiving an even stronger blow to the same spot Joker kicked earlier in the fight has left Arianna on her knees, gasping and holding back the contents of her stomach. Joker estimates he has time to ask another question or two before she recovers.

"How do-"

The words are cut off by a sickening squelch.

Joker blinks, the sight of the red spear sticking out of Arianna's chest not at all what he had expected. The woman hacks once, the realization of betrayal in her eyes, then collapses in a cold, dead heap.

"Oops," Raynare chides. "Looks like the fight is over. I guess you're all out of time for questions."

Silence is all that fills the church for several seconds.

"You would kill your own ally as easily as your enemies?" Joker asks. The devil's eyes are hard when he turns them away from the warm corpse to stare at his killer, a woman who has just increased her body count by one.

"I said you were out of time for questions," Raynare reminds the devil, her smile gone. "Besides, I didn't kill her. A stray devil broke in and killed her. Luckily, we were here to finish him off before he got to anyone else."

The fallen angels all begin to descend and close in on Joker. The four levitate silently, the wings on their backs not moving as they shift through the air. It does not escape Joker's notice that, while Raynare and Mittelt look bloodthirsty, Kalawarner and Dohnaseek seem more detached from the situation. In fact, the blue-haired woman seems to look toward her leader more than the devil below her, even if her face remains as professionally blank as ever.

Joker's mask lights up and a new shape appears above him. A beautiful, blindfolded blonde woman with two white wings hovers protectively between the devil and his foes.

Admittedly, the Persona known as Angel isn't dressed much less provocatively than Raynare herself. This reconstructed version is clothed in three vertical strips of leather around her privates and midsection, while one vertical strip runs up her body to a chain-bearing collar.

Jack Frost taking the form of a mascot character might be easily explained, but Joker has yet to figure out where in humanity's collective perception of Heaven's messengers this particular look is supposed to come from. Maybe it has something to do with the fallen angels? Given how Raynare is dressed, the idea seems reasonable.

Either way, a Persona with immunity to bless-type skills should be exactly what the boy needs if the fallen angels' light is a real-world equivalent.

"I'm not going-"

Joker is cut off when his false Persona is turned into a pincushion of multi-colored light spears. Instead of nullifying the attacks as Joker expected, as he had _imagined_ the imitation Persona would, the false Angel and the spears explode into a rainbow flash of scattered power. Joker finds himself not only temporarily blinded, but also in possession of a headache on par with the one he got when Rias destroyed his Jack Frost copy.

"None of that, now," Mittelt scolds the devil.

"I do not know how you obtained such magic, but your weapon is not the only thing you create from your demonic power," Dohnaseek observes. "These are not familiars at all, but constructs."

"And they share the same weakness as your weapon," Kalawarner finishes the thought.

Joker blinks the spots out of his eyes and lowers his hand to look back up at a smug Raynare.

 _'I suppose if devils could just imagine being immune to light it would be too easy for them,'_ the boy admits, though he had hoped his creations might be able to benefit from such a trait. _'Using Angel as a shield to stall for more time is out, then.'_

Joker's gray eyes lock with Raynare's violet gaze and the boy feels the surge of anger rise up inside him again, compounded by the pounding in his head. Here, in the middle of open conflict, the teen's hands shake with anticipation for the chance to punish his killer.

 _'That can't be all there is to it, though,'_ Joker realizes, his focus on the mission pulling past his desire to go on the attack. The boy remembers how the devils fought an ages-long three-way war in which both other sides used their greatest weakness as a primary weapon. If light couldn't be resisted in any way then surely the devils would have all been wiped out back then. _'I just don't know enough about devil magic to make it work for me yet.'_

Angel is one of Joker's weaker Personas. Perhaps its endurance simply wasn't high enough to cope?

"If my time is really up," Joker decides to concede. "Can I know one last thing about you before I go, as the woman who killed me twice?"

"For crying out loud," Mittelt interrupts. "Don't you get it? We're going to exorcise you! Nothing you've learned until now has meant anything because you'll cease to exist! Your struggling was just a show for us!"

Joker stays silent and keeps his gaze locked on the woman in charge. The stray musters all the subtly persuasive body language he can think of, shy of begging.

"Humph. You try my patience, but it **is** rare to have the pleasure of killing the same piece of scum more than once," the raven-haired beauty answers, intrigued. "Very well. What final knowledge will you take with you to oblivion?"

What knowledge indeed? Joker has no plans to die here today, but his question can't reveal his certainty of survival. Even if the devil asks what Raynare's true plan is, the one that's worth killing both Issei and himself just to focus her full attention on it, she probably doesn't have the patience left to explain it in any useful amount of detail. Joker already knows the group will smuggle a nun into Kuoh Town in the coming days, and he doesn't want this final gambit to only give him repeated information. The boy could always ask what the fallen angel's critical weaknesses are, but it probably won't earn him more than a sarcastic quip and several spears in his body.

What Joker needs is an answer to help him understand who these fallen angels are as people. Insight into how these beings really think can be used to plan against Raynare going forward. No matter what Joker's relationship with the devils or Grigori in the future might be, Raynare will be his enemy. Of this there is no doubt.

"Why did you destroy the symbols of faith in here?" Joker asks. The boy has noticed how the damage inside this abandoned church is not just wear and decay like the outside of the building, but deliberate vandalism. "Gremory told me fallen angels still wish to serve their creator, even after being cast out of Heaven. Was that a lie?"

From the flinches all four fallen ones take at the question, even the perpetually stoic Kalawarner, it is clear Joker has landed on a sore spot for them.

Good. If anger can make humans sloppy, surely it can do the same to these creatures.

"You speak of things you know nothing about," Raynare says with a frigid glare. "All we need is the focused quality of Father's power in this place. He will not take us back, so why should we suffer reminders of his absence!?"

A cruel smile overtakes the brunette's features as she rises a little higher in the air and holds her arms out, as if to deliver a divine proclamation.

"Soon this will be the site of my ascension! I will rise to a higher level in Grigori here, without Father's help! The praises of Lord Azazel and Lord Shemhazai are all I need!"

As Raynare preens, Joker slips his hands in his pockets once more to display an air of nonchalance. The act isn't just just to look cool, though. The boy also uses the opportunity to palm another infiltration tool, the key to his escape.

Joker discreetly observes the other three fallen angels as Raynare's anger is overtaken by her own pride and self-aggrandizement. The trio are silent, but none appear jealous or angry about Raynare's claims to future power. Whatever the plan is, they are all in on it. The boy turns his dark gaze back to the one in charge and gives her the scowl she deserves. Raynare really does remind the phantom thief of his former foes.

"I get it," Joker claims. Raynare's arrogance and self-importance, the belief she can do whatever she wants to put herself ahead, is something the Phantom Thieves of Hearts saw again and again in those they targeted. "You've taken away the symbols of your creator because you want to make this church a temple to your own personal glory, Raynare. How pe-"

Joker can't fully describe what happens in the next second. The word 'petty' is lost from his lips as all the breath escapes from the boy's lungs. Every ounce of strength in the devil's supernaturally powerful limbs vanishes, and he collapses to his knees. A thrum in Joker's ears blocks out all sound at the same time his vision becomes blurry and distorted. A wave of nausea flows through the boy's gut, and only the numbness in the rest of his body prevents his stomach contents from being spilled all over the church floor.

At first Joker thinks he has screwed up. The fallen angels must have successfully attacked the devil before he could notice or dodge, and now he's about to die again. It is only after one agonizing second passes and Joker can feel his body again, and the fact it is still fully intact, when he knows the cause must be something else. The boy is on his hands and knees, sweat pours off his head to the floor below, and he gasps for breath in heavy pants, but he isn't physically hurt.

Joker may not be injured in the slightest, but he suddenly feels exhausted.

"Oh? So you were just putting on a brave face this whole time?" Mittelt asks, amused by the devil's predicament.

"It seems your imitation of a fairy could heal your wound, but not cleanse the light in your system," Dohnaseek erroneously deduces. Joker has no desire to correct him.

 _'What the hell was that?'_ the boy tries to figure out as he raises his head back up toward his enemies. _'It feels like when I failed to create a false Lucifer Persona, but ten times worse.'_

Joker can't deny the sensation of immense emptiness inside of himself. This is not just a lack of stamina; the strange new well of power the boy has grown accustomed to drawing from over the course of this night suddenly feels like it has been drained dry.

"Oblivion shall bring an end to your suffering," Kalawarner unhelpfully explains.

The fallen angels arch their spear arms up once again, ready to finally deliver on their promise of exorcism to the stray devil.

Joker clenches his teeth and tightens his right hand. Fortunately, when the devil nearly collapsed and had to instinctively catch himself on his hands, his grip on the item in his pocket had been strong enough to pull the small ball out as well. The object of the devil's salvation lies hidden between Joker's red glove and the floor of the church.

Unfortunately, the thing is currently useless.

"You're right about one thing, Joker," Raynare chuckles as she summons a second red spear into her left hand and holds both of the deadly weapons poised to strike. "This place _will_ be a symbol of my glory. When I become one of the few of Father's children to rise higher than the station I was created for, all in Grigori will know my name."

 _'Come on!'_ Joker begs as he reaches in deep, deeper than he has had to all night long, and desperately tries to stoke a single spark of his demonic power back to life. _'I won't die here! Not to her again!'_

Joker doesn't know the cause of what happens next. Maybe devils regenerate used demonic power at a fast enough rate to explain it. Maybe the boy's will to live, his refusal to accept death before it became an absolute certainty, resonated with his new devil powers and produced this result. Maybe Joker was simply not experienced enough with his new source of energy to realize he still had a small reserve left after all. Whatever the explanation, in the moment before five spears of light were brought down to end the life of Ren Amamiya for the second and final time, a small blaze of power lights up inside the devil once more.

 _'Yes!'_

Joker raises his hand off the ground with the Vanish Ball in its grip and tosses it up above him. The devil pours all the meager demonic power he can muster into what would otherwise be a mundane smoke bomb and snaps his fingers.

A flash of unnatural light engulfs the worship hall in an instant. The four shout their surprise but still unleash their weapons. More spears are created thrown as the group try to skewer an enemy they cannot sense.

"Fool, you think a human flash bomb will let you escape us!?" Raynare mocks as she flies higher and throws another spear into the cloud, still blind.

No one answers the killer, and when the whiteout clears the only ones left in the hall are the fallen angels and Arianna's corpse.

Joker ignores all four confused fallen angels and painfully stumbles his way out through the still-open door of the abandoned church. The devil goes completely undetected by any of his foes' senses.

 _'Can't stop here,'_ Joker reminds himself once he is outside. _'They aren't likely to assume I teleported. I need cover.'_

The boy is relieved when his body does not protest too much against the run he breaks out into. The loss of demonic power might mimic the symptoms of exhaustion at first, but it seems the devil's body still has enough physical stamina to move.

 _'I need to hide and rest long enough to use my enhanced stealth again,'_ Joker reasons. _'And then I need find somewhere safe to crash until morning.'_

Actually, one place does spring to the boy's tired mind. Fortunately, it will also allow the stray to check the next point of investigation off his list.

Joker vanishes into the night, a smile on his lips. The phantom thief is happy, not just because he was able to gather a lot of information, and not just because he has managed to make another miraculous escape. No, Joker is happy because being drained of energy has caused the loud blaze of demonic power inside of him to quiet into the smallest of crackling cinders.

From within Joker's mind, behind those last silent embers, comes a distant but familiar hum.

* * *

 **Take Your Time**

* * *

Sona Sitri is not one to broadcast her mood to others. Even beyond the girl's noble upbringing, overly emotional displays simply aren't in her nature. Despite this, the heiress still has a hard time maintaining her mask of civility this morning.

No one blames her.

"We need to finish arranging Amamiya's absence with the staff before classes begin. Rias reports his parents are acting normally, so he must have called them with an excuse already. We will meet with the Gremory Peerage at lunch in the old school building to coordinate a search pattern for tonight," Sona instructs her servants.

The entirety of the Kuoh Academy high school student council, a total of six other girls and one boy, follow in their devil master's wake as she makes a beeline for their offices. Any human students of the school who have also arrived exceptionally early this morning quickly relocate themselves far away as soon as they get even a hint of the president's agitation. Sona has no fear of being overheard saying something she shouldn't.

"After school we will search in shifts. Amamiya is likely to rest while we are occupied here, so we must have people out looking at all times until tomorrow morning."

Ren Amamiya. Sona refrains from biting her lip, but it is a near thing. When Rias informed her friendly rival two days ago how she had no choice but to take in the boy Sona has been trying to recruit it had been a bitter pill to swallow, but swallow it the Sitri heiress did. A dead human only has so much time before their soul escapes the reach of the evil pieces, after all. The whole event was simply terrible luck for Sona's peerage, and incredible good fortune for Rias's peerage.

Again.

Not that Sona is jealous of Rias's reckless distribution of her evil pieces always being rewarded with individuals of extreme competence. No, not at all. The girl would never be so petty. The statistical anomaly simply bothers Sona on an intellectual level.

While the high-class devil had resigned herself for future news of how her friendly rival's new servant exceeds all expectations, she was wholly unprepared for the news Rias came to her with last night. Being told Ren immediately went stray and escaped the Gremory Peerage with unexplained mastery of advanced devil magic wasn't a bitter pill to swallow, it was a poetic tragedy. Sona is still torn between sadness at the loss of a potential ally and cheer at finally seeing Rias's luck run out. Either way, a potentially dangerous stray devil on the loose in the Sitri Peerage's area of operation isn't something to be ignored. Rias has trusted Sona with knowledge that would embarrass the redhead greatly in the Underworld if it got out, and the brunette is more than willing to repay her trust.

For all the complicated emotions involved in the pair's friendship, a true friendship it remains.

"I want you all to treat this situation with utmost caution. Am I understood?"

A chorus of affirmatives is the response. Sona nods, takes a breath in front of the door to the student council room to calm herself, and then raises an eyebrow when she finds the door is already unlocked.

Sona would never forget to lock up before she leaves.

"Good morning, miss president," greets a cocky voice from inside. Sona actually startles at the sound, though not nearly as much as the rest of her peerage. A second's hesitation is replaced by a desperate need to _know_ , and Sona finds herself within the room before she has time to doubt her decision, her servants spread out at her sides and ready for action.

Ren is there. The stray devil sits in the guest chair in front of Sona's desk, dressed in the outlandish dark attire Rias described with his legs crossed and his red gloves both planted atop his knee. The young man looks completely at ease.

"I'd like to talk," the rogue states with a dashing smile.

Sona has her entire peerage at her side, and is a powerful noble of the Underworld's 72 Pillars besides, yet she still can't help but carefully evaluate the situation for unseen danger. Ren warrants caution, after all. Rias's story from last night and Sona's own prior observations confirm several points of concern about the formerly human boy.

Ren is intelligent.

Athletic.

Has nerves of steel.

Shows unexplained prowess with his demonic power.

Somehow slipped by the familiars around the school and bypassed all the new magical wards placed by the Gremory Peerage last night to sneak in here undetected.

Has enough potential to require a mutation piece to reincarnate.

And most dangerous of all, further confirmed by the sight of the white mask over the boy's face, Sona knows Ren Amamiya is at least one more thing worthy of fear.

"Yes, I think we should."

He is the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

* * *

 **Chapter End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **And that's chapter six.**

 **I can't promise another week-long update since I didn't accidentally write a triple-length chapter, just a double-length.**

 **See you next time.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Captain Bell**


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